


The Bunker Files - A #FlynnFriday Imagines Series

by Burgundy_In_Chaucer, DoctorLia, DraejonSoul, RedGold, UnUnpredictableMe (DraejonSoul)



Series: #Flynn Friday Imagines [4]
Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Gen, Inspired by The Twilight Zone, Mentions of violence but not graphic, Mutual Pining, Non-Graphic Violence, Not Canon Compliant - s02e11-12 The Miracle of Christmas (Timeless), Supernatural Elements, Twitter roundrobin, and possible wyatt logan bisexuality crisis?, attempts at thriller, garcy, garcy - two awkward turtles, platonic Flogan, riya - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:58:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 103,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22996552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgundy_In_Chaucer/pseuds/Burgundy_In_Chaucer, https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorLia/pseuds/DoctorLia, https://archiveofourown.org/users/DraejonSoul/pseuds/DraejonSoul, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedGold/pseuds/RedGold, https://archiveofourown.org/users/DraejonSoul/pseuds/UnUnpredictableMe
Summary: Slice of life one-shots of the bunker gang, mostly when they're not chasing Rittenhouse. Genre could be anywhere from crack to mystery to fluff to the bizarre.CHAPTER 19: The Man FluFlynn comes down with the flu and Lucy is tasked with taking care of him. With his fever spiking so high that she has to drag him into the showers to cool him down.
Relationships: Garcia - Relationship, Garcia Flynn & Lucy Preston, Garcia Flynn & Wyatt Logan, Garcia Flynn/Lucy Preston, Rufus Carlin/Jiya
Series: #Flynn Friday Imagines [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1647451
Comments: 72
Kudos: 80





	1. Welcome to the Twilight Zone (Garcy, Riya)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [#Flynn Friday imagine](https://twitter.com/thaliashadow02/status/1218037634628489218): Flynn, Lucy, Jiya, and Rufus settle in front of the TV to watch the Twilight Zone. They all fall asleep. Or do they? Are their dreams a work of their imagination or is it real?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW Notes: mention of non-graphic but extreme violence, a lot of swearing

Rufus wakes up first, rubs his eyes. Why is everything black and white? He rubs again, the same. He wakes Jiya up. She blinks several times at him.

"Rufus... Is it just the low lighting, or is everything in grayscale?..."

"It's not you… maybe we're dreaming?" Rufus says as he examines himself.

"Would you dream about Flynn?" Jiya points to the sleeping figure next to Lucy.

"Well this is clearly a nightmare, then." Rufus huffs with an eye roll.

Jiya pinches him. 

"Ow!"

"Well, that's some realistic nightmare," Jiya notes.

"You couldn't have pinched yourself??" Rufus half-wails.

"Now, we both know this is real."

Rufus nudges her. “You wake 'em up. Flynn's less likely to kill you."

Flynn bolts up and holds his shin where Rufus kicked him, jerking Lucy awake as well. "RUFUS WHAT THE..." He trails off when he notices the lack of a color scheme, "...fuck?"

Lucy is wide-eyed as she takes everything in. "’TV’s in color."

Rufus stares as well. "Weren't we just watching an old black and white film?"

Jiya shrugs. "We might have slept through it."

Flynn points at 'Dracula' playing on the screen. "Is it just me, or does Bela Lugosi look too vivid and life-like to you...?"

Before they could react to the terrifying vampire on screen, the channel changes and Rod Serling smirks at them through the screen. "What you're about to witness is a nightmare." 

The lights go out.

Everyone gets behind Flynn when an overhead light illuminates Bela Lugosi. "Run."

"WHERE THE HELL DID HE COME FROM??"

"I DON'T KNOW! JUST GO!"

"To WHERE, FLYNN?? WE'RE IN A DAMN BUNKER!"

They run as a group down the hallway, Jiya muttering all this time, "Please be a slow vampire, please be a slow vampire..."

As soon as they turned the corner, a clown wielding an axe appears and Rufus lets out the loudest scream before grabbing Jiya's hand and sprinting in the other direction with Flynn and Lucy trailing close behind.

"WE HAVE TO GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!!" Rufus says, heading for the exit.

Flynn makes a very quick trip to their makeshift armory, grabs whatever weapons he could and chucks them at the other three (Lucy almost drops her pistol). He shoves the rest into a duffel, grabs Lucy and runs, firing at the murder clown behind them. 

He asks, "WHERE ARE THE OTHERS?"

"I THINK THEY RAN FOR THE EXIT!" No sooner had those words left her mouth did they see Jiya and Rufus speed past them with Jiya latching on to Lucy's arm.

"FREDDY KRUEGER!" Was all she says before they hear knives being dragged along metal.

"STORAGE ROOM!!" Flynn yells at them.

They reach the storage room before their pursuers did and starts barricading the door. 

"Did ANY of you see Connor or Wyatt?" Jiya asks.

All freeze and look at each other in alarm.

"Wyatt should figure it out and look for us,” Flynn points out. “If he gets to Connor, they should be fine. I hope."

Once the door is secure, Flynn moves to the vent that young JFK once crawled out of and opens it. "Ladies first."

"Age before beauty." Jiya counters.

"Lucy?" Flynn asks.

"I'm claustrophobic.Rufus?"

"Black people are always the first to die."

The lights flicker and Jiya jumps through.

Rufus goes next, then Lucy, then Flynn goes last. Banging and growling can be heard on the storage room door.

They crawl in the vents for several minutes, Lucy stopping on and off to get her bearings.

Jiya emerges. "WHY THE HELL IS IT STILL BLACK and WHITE OUT HERE??"

"WHO CARES! KEEP MOVING!" Lucy shouts as she pushes past her and Rufus to drink in the fresh air and SPACE.

Flynn is about to speak when something wraps around his leg and drags him back towards the vent.

"THAT A WEREWOLF?!" Rufus screams as he fumbles to help the girls pull Flynn.

Flynn keeps his panic in check as he tries to kick free. He sees the creature about to renew his attack so he pulls the 9 mm and fires between the werewolf's eyes. It rears back howling, but it only made him angrier.

He scrambles out of the hole and helps Rufus push the heavy metal door against the snarling monster. The girls drag a long branch to jam the door and helps the guys push a concrete block against it.

Jiya wipes his forehead. "Dracula, Pennywise, Freddy Krueger, now a werewolf. It's like we're in th—"

"DON'T say it!" Rufus cuts her off.

Jiya raises her arms, palms up. "Fine, I won't, but we're all thinking it."

"You've gotta be kidding me..." Flynn mutters as he looks out towards the open field. In the distance, he can see a handful of bodies stumbling towards them. "Are those zombies?"

"Yep." Lucy sighs.

Rufus looks terrified, while Flynn is getting Very Pissed. "It's like all our worst fears come to life!"

Jiya freezes. "Say that again...?"

"Zombies or the worst fears part?" Flynn replies as he pulls out a shotgun from the duffle bag.

"Well...neither of these are my fears..." Jiya says as tiny creatures begin running from the woods towards them.

"Are those...?" Rufus observes.

"GREMLINS!" Jiya takes off.

"Okay, I don't mind doing cardio on occasion, but we need to end this," Flynn declares. “Geniuses, get cranking."

"NOT WHILE THOSE CREEPY THINGS ARE AFTER US!" Jiya keeps tugging at Rufus' sleeve. "Come onnnn!"

"Okay," Lucy calls out. "These creatures are from different eras, right? Not all are black and white classics like Freddy and Pennywise or those gremlins. They're somehow coming out of the woodwork for some reason. They must have some commonality."

Flynn looks back in admiration while running "That's my girl. Okay, confession time. Whose fears are they?"

"Clowns and werewolves." Rufus says.

"Dracula and zombies." Lucy answers.

Jiya speeds up, "Gremlins and if we see giant spiders, I'm sorry."

Flynn glances behind them to see how far their pursuers were. "Krueger and...oh, god."

"Flynn?" Lucy asks as she notices fear in his eyes.

They see a black cloud approaching fast. As it gets closer, they realize what it was.

"Ravens, Flynn? REALLY?!" Rufus screeches.

Lucy pulls at Flynn desperately. "Try watching 'The Birds' sometime. Let's go!!"

He shakes his head.

"NO? ARE YOU NUTS??!! They're getting closer!"

"When did that get here?" Jiya asks and they all notice the SUV conveniently placed about 100 yards away.

"I HATE THIS!!" Rufus screams as they all run towards the vehicle, hoping to get away.

All of their fears are catching up to them as Flynn fires behind them.

Lucy, Jiya and Rufus pile into the SUV as Flynn shoots at zombies and ravens with his poorly effective shotgun.

He crouches to rummage in the duffel for a semi-auto, leaves his back unguarded. A few ravens swoop down to take advantage.

"FLYNN!"

He turns in time and raises his arm—

The ravens turn to dust as they hit him. He opens his eyes and notices snow everywhere. "What the..." 

He turns around and no-one is behind him. The others are gone.

"Lucy? Jiya? Rufus?" He screams and no one answers back. There are footprints in the snow and he still has the duffle bag.

* * *

"WHERE'D HE GO??" Lucy screams.

The ravens are gone, but some zombies get closer. She's trembling,but her overwhelming fear for Flynn is stronger. She spies a jungle knife at the back of the SUV, snatches it and opens the door.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING??" Rufus calls after her.

Flynn follows the footprints for about five miles without anything attacking him. He raises his pistol as he came across a lonely snow covered cabin. "Great. I'm going to die here, I just know it."

He walks toward the door and opens it. "Hello?" Nothing. He walks inside.

* * *

"I'm not leaving Flynn to them!" Lucy snaps, long knife out front and ready.

"She's gonna die," Rufus moans.

"Lucy! Undead at 4 o'clock!" Jiya warns.

She turns to the correct position, swinging. Instead of decayed flesh, she hits air.

* * *

Opening her eyes, her friends are gone.

Lucy looks around and sees snow. Footprints are leading in one direction. It's still black and white and the sun is now up, but logic seems to have gone out the window long ago, so she just shrugs it off. She follows the footprints with her knife out in front of her, just in case.

* * *

"Did you see that?"

"Yes! Lucy's GONE,too!"

"Don't you get it, Rufus? We HAVE to face our fears!" Jiya turns on all d lights & finds a long wrench. "It's time I face mine."

"No! Jiya, WAIT--!"

He grasps air as she steps out of the safety of the SUV, swinging. He blinks and—

* * *

Jiya swings at nothing and lands in snow. She quickly glances around, seeing a figure at the edge of the woods. "LUCY!" The figure stops and turns. "Thank God." Jiya runs after her friend and hugs her.

"I think Flynn went this way...where's Rufus?" Lucy said and they both glance back.

* * *

There's a howl in the distance. Of fucking course it is.

Rufus hurriedly fumbles for something—ANYTHING—made of silver, as he spies burning yellow eyes getting closer by the second. It hits him.

He takes out the silver StarTrek communicator from his wallet & braces himself.

Rufus is screaming when he notices the shift in temperature and opens his eyes. He looks around and sees Lucy and Jiya running towards him. Embarrassed, he stands up, brushing snow off of himself. 

"No one breathes ONE WORD about this to Flynn." The girls just laugh at him.

"Come on," Lucy urges after the couple hugs it out. "We follow the tracks, it might take us to Flynn."

"Or the next level boss fight," Rufus quips, kicking snow. "This sucks."

They trudge through the snow until they see a snow-covered cabin ahead.

"Oh, HELL no!!"

"We have to see if Flynn is in there." Lucy states, not moving towards the cabin.

"Maybe he walked PAST the creepy cabin." Rufus suggests.

They all hear a loud, yet muffled, scream coming from inside and they recognized it as Flynn, yet no one really moved. "Well, hell."

Lucy stiffens, and Jiya lays a hand on her arm. "Let's go round and peek at the window before we barge in," she suggests.

They slowly approach the only lit window and crouches in the shadows. Jiya stealthily peeks inside while Lucy and Rufus wait nervously.

Jiya sits back down, "What did you see?" Lucy asks her.

"Um...Flynn is just...Sitting there." She answers and the other two peek in to find that the Croatian was indeed just sitting down with his hands on the table in front of him.

"That's not creepy." Rufus whispers.

"Is there anyone else with him?" Lucy asks.

Jiya shrugs. "Looks like he's by himself."

"But what was—"

Rufus is cut off by another one of Flynn's muffled screams.

They all look inside the cabin, but Flynn hadn't moved. Jiya decides to tap the glass. When nothing happens, she taps it a little harder. Flynn doesn't even flinch, but something in the shadows move and they all tense as a man emerges. He has headphones on, but he also has syringes.

This is so weird," Rufus mutters. "Why isn't Flynn moving?"

"I don't know," Lucy admits, worried. "This isn't like him."

"How do we help him?" Jiya asks, peering around. She doesn't like the look of those syringes at all.

The man grabs Flynn by his hair and jabs a syringe into his neck before slapping him across the face. Flynn didn't move, but he lets out a grunt of pain. "I'll be back." The man's muffled voice floats towards them before he walks up the stairs whistling to whatever music played.

"We have to get him outta there," Jiya declares.

"Agreed, but how?" Rufus asks. "If that creep captured Flynn, how can we stand against him?"

"We have the numbers... I hope," says Lucy. "We find Flynn's duffel and hopefully stage a rescue. Thoughts?"

"We can try the window." Rufus suggests and both girls helps him slowly shimmy it open as quietly as they could.

They urge Jiya to go through because she was smaller and she agrees. Once inside the house, she crawls to Flynn's side.

"Flynn?" She sees his eyes move, but that's it.

"Blink twice for Yes, one slow blink for No. Got it?" He blinks twice.

"Is he alone?" - two blinks.

"D'you have your duffel when you got here?" - two blinks.

"Can you move at all?" - long blink. Damn.

"I wish you know Morse..." two blinks. 

"Really? Great. Where'd he stash your duffel?"

He blinks rapidly. Jiya slowly walked towards the couch where the duffle was and grabbed it, but sound from the stairs has her dropping to the ground.

The man returns with barely a glance her way. He notices the partially opened window, "Did you do that?" He asks Flynn, smiling

He backhands him before he goes to shut the window. Blood flows from Flynn's cut lip.

Lucy holds back a gasp from her place at the window. If this is a nightmare, how was Flynn bleeding?

"I'm out of fish wire, puppet. I need to go to the shed. I'll be back." The man smiles at Flynn. With that the man leaves out of the back door, making Lucy and Rufus scramble to hide behind some bushes.

Jiya runs to Flynn and notices the knife in his right leg. "He do that?" He blinks twice.

"The stuff he gave you. There's an antidote?" Two blinks. "Where?"

At Flynn's direction, she finds the right bottle. Grabbing an empty syringe, she draws from it, then injects Flynn with it.

There are heavy footfalls. Jiya quickly replaces bottle and syringe on the table and hides.

The man comes back and places the fish wire on the table. He doesn't notice Flynn's finger twitching.

Jiya then pops up screaming with her wrench, hitting the man with it but he just shrugs it off and grabs her.

Flynn quickly pulls the knife from his leg and stabs the man in the face

He roars in pain, but doesn't let up on his grip on Jiya.

"LET. HER. GO!" Rufus comes screaming in, throwing a pistol at Flynn. He barely catches it, carefully avoids Jiya before shooting the man several times. Jiya wrenches free.

"GO. NOW." Flynn limps out of the cabin with Rufus supporting some of his weight.

"I'd like to wake up now." Rufus muttered as they met Lucy at the front & kept running.

Once they were far enough away they stopped running. "Are you ok?" Lucy asked, holding Flynn's face.

"I'll live." He relishes her hands on his face before urging to hide deeper in the woods. 

"Do we know where we are?" Jiya asks, dropping the duffel beside her, digs out a first aid kit she swiped. She sits by Flynn and starts working on his leg while Lucy cleans his face.

It's still black & white, but they can see that the sun is fading. "This is definitely a nightmare, right? Why don't we try and wake up?" Lucy suggests.

Rufus walks over to Jiya and pinches her arm. "WHAT THE HELL!"

Rufus backs off. "Doesn't work."

"What is that?" Flynn asked.

"Why did you run, puppet?" The man asks, his voice distorted by the bullet hole in his neck, the knife still sticking out of his face.

"WHY ISN'T THAT MOTHERFUCKER DEAD??"

The man slowly taps his fist on his chest. "Body armor. Come home with me now." He smiles at Flynn.

"What you're about to witness is a nightmare." A voice echoes through the woods.

"Fuck..." Jiya said as she grabs Rufus and starts running, Flynn and Lucy close behind them.

The man isn't moving fast, but he isn't slow either. He is gaining on them despite their speed.

Realizing he is slowing the team down, Flynn hands the duffel to Jiya before taking a few weapons. "Keep going," he urges them. "I'll keep him busy." He limps back to face their pursuer.

Dread fills Lucy. "Flynn..."

"I'm only slowing you down," he says with a rueful smile.

"Garcia..."

"It's just a dream, right? I'll meet you on the other side." He leans down and kisses her before urging her towards the others.

Something in her brain clicks. This is just like the first time. "Was the cabin your fear?" At his nod she continues "Losing you is mine."

His chest tightens. "You won't. Not if I can help it."

She runs back to him. "You can't promise that, but I can help you keep it." She hefts the long knife.

Flynn grabs it. "Let's switch. You take these-" He checks two 9mm’s and hands them over.

"Together, then?"

"Together."

"Do we have to help them?" Rufus whispers to his girlfriend, but when she just glares back at him he takes out the shotgun from the bag. "I mean of course we're helping."

Jiya finds a rifle in the bag and walks up to the couple with a smile, "Stop being cute, we have a psycho to fight."

Garcia sighs. "I told you two to go."

"When have any of us listened when we say that to each other?" Jiya replies, cocking the rifle.

"What is thisss?" Creepy Guy sounds concerned. "I only need the puppet to come with-"

"Yeah, no," Garcia retorts and shoots his face a few times.

Flynn suddenly stops shooting as color bleeds back. Could this possibly be the end of the nightmare? Or...?

Lucy, Rufus, and Jiya walk closer as they shoot the man, not noticing the color returning to their vision or that Flynn has stopped, too focused on killing the man.

"HEY! HOLD YOUR FIRE!" Flynn tries yelling over the gunfire.

Lucy turns away, clearly unable to continue. She looks up at him, realization dawning. "Did we do it?"

She doesn’t wait for an answer and lays a hand on her friends.

"Guys! Guys! We did it! It worked!"

Color was back and they could see the sun setting and the man isn't moving on the ground. They hug each other and suddenly feels extremely tired.

"Let's watch the sunset." Jiya yawns as snow quickly melts away.

They pick a tree and lean against it with a good view of the sun.

Rufus sits up w/ a start. He looks around; they're back in the bunker.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, I'm glad I'm seeing camo green again," he says as the others start to stir.

Lucy offers a hand to Flynn who's sprawled on the floor. He gets up with a groan and touches his lip.

Lucy leads him to the kitchen when she sees the blood. "Don't know how I fell. Had a weird dream." Flynn says.

"Nothing compared to mine." Jiya says, looking at the TV screen.

The DVD must have been scratched because it kept skipping to: _"What you're about to witness is a nightmare..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes from Daiji: I feel like I have to explain. The gang (except Flynn, I guess) being cavalier about gunning Flynn's captor down is born from the notion that they know they're in some weird dream, so they're in a mindset that they have to kill this enemy at all costs so that they can go back to where they were/wake up - especially Rufus and Jiya. And, tbqh, I didn't spend a lot of time thinking of the characters' moral and ethical dilemma because of the surreal situation they're in.
> 
> And Lia and I had been at this imagine for 24 hours - give or take the RL breaks in between, including sleeping. This was the second longest we've worked at an imagine, the longest one of which will posted here eventually ^^).


	2. The FlynnStache (Garcy, Riya)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [#FlynnFriday imagine](https://twitter.com/thalia_msr/status/1223160607702167553): Garcia grows a mustache and spends time trying to help Jiya, Rufus,and Connor fix the Lifeboat. Everyone thinks he looks silly, but Lucy thinks he's adorable.
> 
> Flynn plays along, twirling his mustache.
> 
> Flynn would TOTALLY help out and then mess with Jiya and Rufus after they tease him about the mustache!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired (again) by Goran Visnjic’s Doctor Who episode. And his mustache. Here's some Garcy and Riya fluff for you!

"For the love of Turing, the soldering gun ISN'T a drill, Flynn!"

"It's got a pointy end. It SHOULD be used to poke a hole, shouldn't it?”

Jiya just grabs it off of him. "I appreciate you wanting to help, but if you try and poke my time machine or my boyfriend with this, I will stab you in your sleep."

Flynn stumbles for something to say before just nodding his head. Jiya was scary when she threatens people.

He sighs and grabs the right tool, mouth working and making his mustache quiver. 

Jiya can't contain her snicker at the sight. Lucy, meanwhile, is struggling with the urge to reach out and touch it.

"What's so funny?" Flynn asks the younger woman, who's now openly laughing.

"You look funny with that. Make it move!" Her eyes light up.

Flynn glances at Lucy before chuckling and twitching his lip in order for it to move. Jiya claps while she giggles. "Entertaining?"

“Yep."

"Children," he grumbles in good nature. "You never make fun of Rufus' facial hair."

"Well, that is a work of art," Jiya explains, with a hand flourish around said facial hair. Rufus looks smug. "Yours looks like a small rat decided to up and die on your face.”

Rufus does a spit take with the water he was drinking because Flynn's face had gotten so offended.

Flynn starts mumbling under his breath as he turns back to the time machine. He glances at Lucy again and notices that she is the only one _not_ laughing at Jiya's joke.

"Back me up here," he tells her, gesturing to his 'stache. "Is it really that bad?"

Lucy looks around at her friends, slightly flustered. "W-well, I don't think it's _too_ bad. I mean... you can pull it off..." she shrugs helplessly, staring hard at her book seeing Flynn's soft gaze.

"Of course Lucy doesn't mind." Jiya rolls her eyes at the obvious idiots.

Flynn puts the tools he's been using down and walks over to where Lucy is sitting. "Is it bad? I can shave it off. Be honest."

Lucy blushes a deep red as she answers, "You look good, Flynn. Honest.”

Flynn smirks at the other two, making his mustache askew. Jiya can't hold in her laughter.

Rufus rolls his eyes. "Okay, Magnum PI. Get your butt over here and help us put the panel in."

The two spend a few more seconds making heart eyes at each other before Flynn rejoins them.

Jiya and Rufus use Flynn's superior strength to put the panel back in place before moving on to a different section. Lucy watches them all work for a moment before she tries to return to her reading. She is not successful, especially when she notices Flynn removing his shirt.

She marks her place before she gets an eyeful of Flynn in all his sweaty—er, hardworking ( _That's what I meant! Shut up, hormones!_ ) glory.

There is only the sound of clanking and machines for a few minutes until Flynn decides to break the silence. "I think you’d have a better chance of catching flies with flypaper, Lucy," he calls out teasingly with a dimpled grin. Lucy promptly closes her mouth.

Jiya is fanning herself. "Hoo! It's certainly getting hot in here! I think I need a talllll drink. What about you, Lucy?”

Lucy glares at the younger woman, but all Jiya does is smile back. "We should take a break. We've been at this for a few hours." Jiya says still smiling at Lucy.

Rufus and Flynn agree, both men in tank tops and sweaty. "I'll make lunch. Then we can work on the Lifeboat some more.”

"I'll help!" Jiya quickly offers as Rufus goes to the kitchen.

Flynn shakes his head at them as he perches on a crate, lifting the front of his tank top to wipe his face.

Lucy makes a high-pitched noise that devolves into throat-clearing.

"You okay?" Flynn comes over, offering a water bottle to Lucy. As she takes it, he takes a huge gulp from his own, then pours some of the cool liquid on his face, the water trailing down his neck and chest.

Lucy's eyes go wide and she half-chokes on her water.

"Lucy?"

"YOU'RE SPILLING WATER EVERYWHERE!" Everyone stares at Lucy and she blushes a deep red once more. "You're making a mess." She finishes in a squeaky voice before bolting from the room all together.

"Did I do something?" Flynn asks, concerned.

"The mustache scared her away.”

"Ha." He cleans up his 'mess' before joining the other two in the kitchen. He'll check on Lucy later, but he needs to make sure the geniuses don't burn down the bunker first.

(Lucy has fled to Flynn's room, back against the door. She tries frantically to fan her heated face.)

After a few minutes of watching Flynn stare off into space, Jiya sits across from him. "What are you gonna do about Lucy?"

"I'll check on her once lunch is ready." Flynn says, confused.

"That's not what I mean."

"Jiya-"

"Shut up, Rufus. I'm tired of these two idiots.”

"What do you mean?" Flynn asks, his lip twitching, making his mustache move.

Jiya giggles at that before speaking, "Flynn, Lucy loves you. Only love can blind her to how horrible that dead rat on your face looks."

Flynn is unconvinced and turns to Rufus. "That's not true, right?”

"Dude. You got a 'stache not even your mother would love. I'm sure she's a lovely lady, but hell no.”

"It's more than just your pornstache, Flynn." She rolls her eyes at Flynn's snigger. "Look. She's got it bad for you, and it's clear that it's mutual. So what's keeping you?”

Flynn's smile slowly dissipates as he thinks over what the two geniuses said. "What if it doesn't work out? I don't want to break her heart."

Jiya looks over at Rufus with a 'OMG he's so soft!' Look and Rufus sets the sauce he's cooking to simmer. "Flynn, do you love her?”

Flynn doesn't answer, but the raging emotions in his eyes is answer enough for Jiya. She lays a hand on his shoulder.

"She can handle herself," she assures him. She gives him a pat. "And if you ever do break her heart, Rufus and I can kick your ass."

Flynn can't help but grin at her. "I'll be sure to tie my hands behind my back. Just give me a heads up."

Jiya smirks. "I've learned a thing or five that could surprise you."

Flynn returns it. "I'm counting on it."

Rufus shudders. They're both scaring him.

"So you guys really think I have a chance?" Flynn asks, his cheeks tinted pink.

"Of course… But only if you shave that _thing_ off your face." Rufus says as he stands back up to check on the sauce. "Spaghetti's ready. You wanna go get Lucy?"

Flynn stands and walks to the bathroom.

Once Lucy feels she’s settled down, she remembers Rufus saying something about food. She takes a cleansing breath then opens the door...

... and walks smack into Flynn's chest. His still-damp, tank top-covered chest.

"Oh! There you are. Kitchen's still intact and Rufus made spaghetti.”

She has the wherewithal to stop gawking and look up. And stops her hand from reaching out just in time.

"You... You shaved."

He tilts his head at her. "You're disappointed," he notes with a grin.

"Not _entirely_ disappointed. You pulled it off." She blushes.

"Not according to our resident nerds." He smiles softly at her. "May I escort you to lunch, Professor Preston?"

A chuckle escapes her. "I know where the kitchen is, Flynn."

"Let me be a gentleman." He winks at her.

She rolls her eyes playfully. "Chivalry's overrated." But she lays an arm on the crook of his elbow.

"I know," he admits, walking slowly to the kitchen as if walking in the park. "Doesn't change the fact that treating a woman right is never out of style."

Her cheeks burn anew.

Just before they reach the entrance to the common room he stops and takes a breath. "Would you..." She looks up at him expectantly and he chickens out. "Would you prefer me with a mustache or a beard?"

"A little scruff would be fine." She blushed when he smiled down at her.

“Ok."

They walk into the kitchen together with Flynn mentally berating himself. He really wanted to ask Lucy to have dinner with him so they could discuss their relationship. He hated that he chickened out. Jiya gave him an expectant look and it fell when he shook his head. Disappointed.

He glares back in response. Not really a good time. He serves up a plate for Lucy and himself before settling beside her. They exchange coy glances before digging in.

Jiya sits across from Flynn and watches him and Lucy exchange glances. She loves these two dorks, but they are going to be the death of her. "I see you shaved. We can see your handsome face. Right, Lucy?"

Lucy blushes, but agrees.

"You think Flynn is handsome?" Rufus adds.

Jiya kisses Rufus' nose. "I have eyes. But just because I think that, doesn't mean he has my heart, does he?"

Both Rufus and Flynn go bright red. Lucy chuckles at them.

"Besides, there's only one he wants. Right, Flynn?"

The couple gives him a Look, and then Lucy.

Lucy doesn’t notice the look, since she was blushing into her spaghetti. Flynn on the other hand was glaring at the two, but they have grown accustomed to his glaring and only smile back.

"Are we going to finish work on the Lifeboat after this?" Flynn asks, annoyed with the two.

Jiya glances at the Lifeboat. "Well, the outer skids need checking, then routine diagnostics on the nav. If everyone's done with the cow eyes, we can finish in three, four-ish hours?"

Lucy ignores the cow eyes comment. "Can I help?"

Rufus and Jiya share an uncertain look. Her face falls slightly.

Flynn speaks up. "You can pass me the tools, or you can call out the readings during the diagnostics. Right?" he directs the question to the geniuses.

Jiya narrows her eyes at him. Flynn wiggles his brows in answer. She sighs w/ a hidden smile. "Can't hurt, I guess.”

Lucy perks up and smiles at Rufus, who she knows can never say no to her. He just sighs, "You might get bored with all the technobabble."

"I'm sure you'll make it fun for me."

Rufus glances over at Flynn and mutters under his breath, "I'm sure _someone_ will."

Flynn glares at him.

"Because you managed to cook up an edible lunch, I'll let that slide. For now. So. Are we fixing the Lifeboat, or are we fixing the Lifeboat?"

He stretches his arms in front of him as he speaks, corded muscles rippling. Lucy thinks she'll combust if he doesn't stop this…

Flynn doesn't notice Lucy staring, but he stands and offers his elbow once more with a small smile, "My lady."

Rufus and Jiya walk to the Lifeboat rolling their eyes. Lucy just laughs at him. "Keep this up and I might think you're flirting with me."

_'I’M TRYING!_ ' Flynn screams inside his head.

[Would you like a note that says 'This idiot loves you' stapled to your forehead?] Jiya sweetly says in Arabic, to no-one in particular, knowing Flynn understands her.

_If only._

Rufus and Lucy scowl, and Flynn merely side-eyes Jiya as he picks up where he left off by the Lifeboat.

Lucy decides to hang around Rufus and help him out with his tools. Flynn's rippling muscles will distract her and she doesn’t want to mess up anything.

Flynn, on the other hand, was distracted by Lucy's mere presence. He had banged his hand with a hammer twice already.

And it's during one of these Lucy Being a Beautiful Distraction that Flynn's hand catches a sharp edge of a damaged strut.

"Trying to kill yourself before declaring your love is the coward’s way out," Jiya hisses at him as she rolls out from under the Lifeboat to check his hand.

[A little louder for them to hear, if you please,] Flynn snaps at her, wincing at her rough handling.

"What happened?" Lucy comes over, eyes wide at seeing his hand.

"Flynn being an idiot," Jiya replies before he could, shrugging. "You know - Tuesday."

"I'm right here, brat.”

"Come on, we should clean it before it gets infected," Lucy says as she drags him over towards the kitchen and the first aid kit under the sink. "How did you do this?"

Flynn just stares at her as she cleans his hand, "Got distracted, I guess."

"By what?"

He blushes hard, “You.”

Lucy keeps her eyes focused on putting his hand under running water, fearing he'll see her flushed face. "Not my place to say it, being a klutz and all, but you should mind what you're doing."

Flynn is entranced by the delicate care with which she handles his injured hand, feels the warmth of her skin touching his, wishes her lowered lashes didn't hide her warm brown eyes.

"I guess... my mind's been full of you that it's..." he shrugs at the loss of words.

Sounds of metal objects falling to the floor rang through the bunker.

Both Flynn and Lucy jump at the sound and look over to see Rufus practically dragging Jiya to the other side of the Lifeboat. "BUT I CAN'T HEAR FROM THAT SIDE!"

"THAT’S THE POINT, JIYA!!"

Flynn looks back at Lucy, knowing the moment was truly lost. He was going to kill them.

Lucy is the first to break the moment, a laugh bubbling from her throat. Flynn's heart does a little flip.

"Oh my god, those two are being weird today!" she exclaims as she proceeds to dry his hand.

"No more than usual." He spares a Murder Glare Jiya's way when he notices her frantic gestures. _Nope. Moment=Gone_.

He looks over the cut. Not too deep, thankfully. Lucy begins to disinfect then bandage it. This is the longest time she's held his hand. He doesn't want it to end.

"Thank you, Nurse Lucy," he says as she finishes, flexing his fingers.

Lucy smiles back and folds her hands in her lap. "You're very welcome."

Flynn looks over at Jiya, who was currently whispering frantically to Rufus. 'Screw it' he thinks as he reaches for Lucy's hand again. He runs his thumb back and forth on her hand and takes a deep breath.

"You always take care of me," Flynn mutters, trying to build more courage.

"It's only fair, given how often you take care of me." Lucy blushes as she watches his hand on hers.

"Well, I like taking care of you." He could feel his heart beating at a rapid pace.

"Yeah?"

“Yeah."

"Th-that's good," she says softly, "because, _mon esprit est rempli de toi aussi._ "

Flynn couldn't breathe. Couldn't seem to comprehend what he just heard. His mind is spinning; he doesn't think he lost enough blood to cause that.

"IN ENGLISH OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!"

“JIYA!!"

Flynn ignores the other two in the room and focuses on Lucy. "What do you suppose we do about it?"

Lucy takes his hand in both of hers and brings it to her lips, pressing a kiss to the bandage. Flynn SWEARS he can feel it. "I don't want to get hurt again, if we save Lorena and Iris.”

"Lucy...I don't think I can go back to being Lorena's husband, because I'm in love with you." He finally confesses, his heart in his eyes.

Lucy doesn't look at him, "Are you sure? Because I'm fine with just staying friends."

"I am in love with you. Nothing can change that, Lucy.” He shrugs and goes on. "I'd turn this off, but I can't. I wish I were a better man, because you deserve b-"

Lucy's gentle fingers touch his lips, cutting him off. He closes his eyes, relishing the touch and simultaneously bracing himself for the rejection he knows is coming.

Lucy takes a moment to examine his features before moving both hands to his face. "I don't want you to turn it off. I am so in love with you that it hurts… Maybe we can take things slow?"

Flynn's eyes pop open and tears threaten to fall, "We can move as slowly as you want.”

Lucy smiles at last, grateful for this man's thoughtfulness and his... everything. "You sure?"

"I intend to enjoy every moment every step of the way, Lucy. You call the shots."

Thrilled by his words, she throws herself into his arms. He's frozen, until he melts in her embrace.

"NOW KISS!" Jiya yells at them from across the room.

"JIYA!" Rufus sounds exasperated.

Flynn laughs as Lucy blushes. They pull away from each other. "I'd prefer to kiss you without our chaperones present. If that's alright?"

Lucy smiles wide, still blushing. "I'd like that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _mon esprit est rempli de toi aussi_ \- my mind is full of you too


	3. Dreamscape (Timeless x ER Crack AU, Garcy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [#FlynnFriday imagine](https://twitter.com/thalia_msr/status/1223144744538267648): Lucy is injured during a mission and the last thing she sees before she passes out is Flynn. She then finds herself in a dream world where Flynn is her doctor and the team are various hospital personnel.
> 
> #Garcy #DreamGarcy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not a Disaster Twins fic, a Luka is a figment of Lucy's fever dream.

Lucy opens her eyes to see Flynn in a white lab coat with a stethoscope. Not a very bad look, she thinks groggily.

The doctor turns to see her eyes open and smiles down at her. "Welcome back. Are you in any pain?"

Lucy can't answer for a moment. Flynn very rarely smiles around the bunker and it makes him look younger and beautiful. "What happened?"

"You were brought in with a few bullet wounds."

Lucy doesn't know where she finds the courage, but she blurts out, "You've got a lovely smile, Flynn."

He sputters. "Ma'am, I'm Dr. Luka Kovać. Do you know where you are?"

She giggles. "With you? In heaven?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Flynn is startled to hear her giggle in her sleep.

Flynn reaches over to hold Lucy's hand. She had gotten pretty banged up on the last mission and the doc had to give her some pretty strong sedatives.

* * *

"Ma'am, is there anyone we should be notifying?" Dr. Kovać asked with a deep blush. Lucy has been getting pretty handsy.

"If you could get a minister to get us married right away, that would be AMAZING."

* * *

"... mm get 's marr'd r't 'way, rmmrhrhrr..."

Flynn does a double take. _Married_? What? He peers into her face, trying to see if Lucy's awake. He shakes his head.

* * *

"Ma'am, I'm flattered, but I don't even know your name. Can we start with that?"

"Her name is Lucy Preston, according to her ID." A nurse said from behind Kovać. When she appeared Lucy was shocked to see,

"Jiya?"

Jiya scowls at her. "Ma'am, did you hit your head?"

"Don't think so, but I know I've fallen REAL hard," she says with an emphatic look at Kovać while playfully running her fingers down his sleeve.

Kovać purses those lovely lips and turns to Jiya. "Order a CT scan..."

"Right away, Doc." Jiya said with amusement dancing in her eyes.

Kovać just glares at her until she walks away. He then turns back to his patient. "Now, Ms. Preston, do you remember what happened to you all at?"

Lucy smiled up at him, "Something amazing.Your accent is thick."

He blinks in disbelief, licking his lip nervously. This only excites Lucy more.

"Oh, stop," she purrs. " _You’re_ making me blush."

* * *

Flynn is disturbed by the sounds Lucy is making.

"What the hell did the doctor inject her with??"

Jiya agrees. "Must be some Very Good Stuff."

Flynn brushes Lucy's hair from her face. "I hope she wakes up soon… Is she purring?"

* * *

Luka chuckles nervously as Lucy purrs at him. "Right...um, I'll be right back." He makes a hasty retreat.

Nurse Jiya walks back in with a smile and checks her IV, "Are you in pain?"

Lucy opens her(dream) eyes & pouts. "My heart is. Where'd Flynn go?"

"You mean Dr. Kovać?"

She starts to squirm. "Where'd he gooo~?"

* * *

"Shit. What now?" Lucy begins to move restlessly and Flynn worries. He softly calls out to her as he asks Jiya to hold down her legs.

"She's running a fever!" Jiya says in both the dream and the waking world.

Lucy opens her eyes long enough to make out the bunker’s walls before falling back into her dream and seeing the doctor run in to help Jiya calm her down.

* * *

"You're alright! You're just running a fever."

Lucy calms a bit seeing Dr. Kovać return and hold her down. "Heyyy... where'd you go? I missed you."

"If you'll stop squirming and behave, we'll help you get comfortable."

She looks at him coyly. "Will _you_ help me feel comfortable?"

Luka looks around uncomfortably.

Jiya burst out laughing before helping the poor doctor, by retrieving a sedative for him. He gives her a thankful look before inserting it into Lucy's IV. "This'll help you sleep."

* * *

Lucy's eyes open to Flynn hovering above her checking the IV bag. Her eyes close again.

* * *

Lucy paws at Luka again. "Stay with me? I sleep better with you here."

Luka shoots Nurse Jiya an alarmed look.

* * *

"Did the doctor give her a high dosage?" Flynn asks Jiya, fervently hoping the younger girl didn't hear Lucy's 'invitation'.

"C'mo~n, there's ro~om."

"I'm not sure who she's inviting to bed, but I hope she isn't having a nightmare." Jiya comments.

Flynn agrees as they watch as Lucy wriggles in bed.

* * *

"Lay down with me... We always sleep better when we're together." Lucy says and Luka continues to be more uncomfortable.

Luka clears his throat. "Tell you what. If you lay still while we check you over, I'll sit with you as you sleep. Deal?"

* * *

"Oh. My. Flynn??" Jiya gapes at her, hands frozen on the IV bag.

He's not panicking. He's n--

"I'll get her some cool water." He half-bolts to the door.

* * *

Lucy agrees and settles down long enough for Luka to finish his exam. "You're much more reasonable when you're not acting crazy." He smiles down at her.

"You should smile more. You have a very beautiful smile."

Luka doesn't know how to respond to that so he just stays silent.

* * *

Flynn frantically tries to get his mind as he gets a basin of cool water. Lucy doesn't mean that. She's delirious. We only shared the bed _once_.

"She okay?"

He barely contains his surprise and turns to Rufus. "Still feverish."

Rufus nods. Beat. "What's that about sharing a bed?"

He hadn't realized he said that outloud and panics a little. Rufus just looks at him with a raised brow, "Flynn, everyone knows Lucy sleeps in your room."

"I sleep on the chair." He felt the need to defend Lucy's honor.

"That's… why? That has to be uncomfortable." Rufus asks.

Flynn just shrugs. "She's looked exhausted since she had to sleep on the couch. I can't fit there, either, and the room's warm, so I take my chances with the chair. I've slept in worse."

Beat. "So everybody knows she sleeps in my room and... nobody's talked to us about it??"

Rufus shrugs, "You're a better choice then Wyatt, and Lucy's been smiling more, so who am I to complain?"

He walks off and Flynn thinks about his words as he walks back to Lucy's room. He sits by her side. "I'm in love with Lucy."

"About time you admitted it." Jiya responds back.

He jolts; he's getting sloppy. "Jiya, this isn't the right time..."

"When is it ever? One jump can change everything. We can't really say we'll all survive this," she points out. "So, try again: _when_?"

Flynn's floored by their insight, and warmed by their quiet acceptance of _him_. He'll protect his nerds at all cost. If only he could give a definitive answer.

"I don't know, Jiya," he admits helplessly at last.

She sighs and looks at him fondly. "Don't take too long, or I'll tell on you."

His reassuring smile came as a grimace instead.

* * *

Meanwhile back in the dream world, Lucy wasn't making any headway with the handsome doctor. "But, Flynn!"

"Luka."

"You need to stay! I can't do this without you, Flynn."

"Luka."

"I love you."

"... Miss… My name is Dr. Luka Kovac. I don't know who this Flynn is. I'm sorry."

Lucy sighs loudly. If role playing is Flynn's new Thing, she can play along. "Okay. Luka."

She takes his hand and cradles it to her chest.

* * *

Flynn's breath stutters. Lucy returns to incoherent mumbling, but four words echo clearly in his head:

_Flynn. I love you._

He's so fucked.

Flynn feels a little ashamed for being privy to Lucy's thoughts, but he is grateful for the time he has to think things over. Does Lucy have feelings for him, or did she mean as a friend? She might be having a dream where he's being protective of her like he normally is. He'll tell her.

* * *

Lucy was a bit more lucid as she spoke to Luka & the doctor was more than grateful for that fact. She was no longer trying to touch or flirt with him. "So you're _not_ Garcia Flynn?"

"Sorry to disappoint, Miss."

Lucy then looked at Jiya's doppelganger and didn't bother to ask.

Nurse Jiya notices her looking, comes to sit by her.

"So Garcia Flynn's your SO?"

Lucy winces. "No? I'm hoping he will be."

The nurse smiles gently. "And by any chance, does he look like Dr. Kovac?"

Lucy sneaks a glance to the doctor quietly reading the monitors, blushing.

"Exactly like him." Lucy says "Flynn's accent is more Americanized."

Luka looks over at the women and smiles down at his patient. "Are you in any pain? We can give you another pain reliever."

"I'm fine, thank you." She blushes as the doctor smiles. She wanted to see Flynn smile.

* * *

Jiya and Flynn heave a sigh at seeing Lucy settle. Flynn drops heavily on the chair nearest the bed.

"Thank goodness," he breathes, brushing her hair off Lucy's sweaty forehead before placing a cool wet cloth on it. "I think it's a good time to check the wound for infection."

After checking and ensuring her wound isn't infected, Jiya leaves to take a shower. Flynn stays to watch over Lucy.

"Lucy, I need you to wake up. I have a few things I need to tell you. It may take me some time to _actually_ say them out loud, but I will...eventually. Get better."

He gives in to the urge and touches the back of his fingers delicately down her cheek. Lucy audibly sighs and chases after his fingers. Emboldened, he cups her warm face.

"I need you to come back to us. To me. Please, _draga_."

He leans down and places a soft kiss on her forehead.

* * *

Lucy has a warm feeling rush over her & she isn't sure why, but she has the urge to hold the handsome doctor again. "I want to go home." She blurts out.

Luka chuckles at her, "Are you sure you're ready for that?"

"You'd tell me if I wasn't, right?"

"That's up to you, Miss."

"Get some rest, Ms. Preston," Dr. Kovać advises. "If your condition improves, you might be able to go home."

She nods and clasps his hand. He sighs and settles on the chair by the bed. "Okay, I'll stay until you fall asleep."

She smiles gratefully, her eyes never leaving his face until she sleeps.

* * *

Her eyes open to the drab ceiling of the bunker, body feeling heavy. There's a weight on her arm, sees the hand that connects to a sleeping Flynn. His chair is drawn close to the cot where he's sprawled on. That doesn't look comfortable.

"Dr. Luka?" She says slowly. Her brain is a little foggy. She moves her hand.

Flynn jerks awake at that. His blurry eyes take a moment to focus. " _Lucy_! You're awake."

"Flynn?"

"You look surprised to see me, _draga_." He beams at her.

"Something like that… My mouth is dry."

He scrambles to get her a cup of water, then holds the straw to her lips.

When she has her fill, she asks, "Hope long was I out?"

"Better part of 72 hours."

"Three days?" She chokes out.

Flynn nods wearily. Lucy then notices the pronounced lines, the scruff on the lower half of his face, his hair unkempt probably from running his hand through it. Flynn probably never left this room these three days.

He's never been more beautiful.

"Oh, I love you," she breathes.

The hand running through his hair freezes as Flynn gapes at her with wide eyes.

He makes a bunch of stuttering noises, but no words come out as his brain malfunctions at her words. She moves her hand to his lips, stopping him. "It's okay if you don't."

He takes a moment to think. He wasn't ready to confess yet… but, "Tell me again?"

"I love you." 

He takes her hand from his face and kisses it softly. "I'm… not ready to say it, but will you settle for me having very strong feelings for you?"

She smiles softly at him, "I'll take what I can get… for now."

He laughs at her. Happy to see her awake, and happy that she loves him back.

"Oh _draga_ , you're one of the bravest persons I know," he declares with a worshipful kiss on her knuckles.

She smiles softly at him, wondering how he came up with that conclusion, but too tired to contradict him. The dream, his vigil, makes her see his previous interactions with her in a new light. It made her realize: she has her answer all along.

"You look tired," she tells him, pats a spot beside her. Come rest with me?"

Flynn is stunned, so she tugs his hand until he complies, carefully arranging himself to lay beside her, mindful of the IV line. He hesitates a moment before wrapping an arm around her. "I should probably tell someone you're awake. They were all worried."

"Maybe later? I just want to sleep." She says, snuggling impossibly close to him.

"Of course _draga_. Anything you want." He drops a kiss on her head.

"I want you." She responds. Her eyes close.

She could probably hear his heart pounding in his chest. "I… want you… also." He closes his eyes at his lame reply and mentally berates himself.

She just giggles at him, "Good." She wraps an arm around him. Keeping him in place.

Jiya raps at the slightly open door to Flynn's room, a tray of food in her hands. She doesn't hear Flynn answer, so comes inside.

She's surprised to find him asleep beside her, Lucy's head on his arm, snuggling his chest, looking the most peaceful she's ever been since she was brought home.

This brings a pleased smile on Jiya's face, backing out of the room quietly.

_Well, finally._

She'll find out later if Flynn confessed to Lucy, and if she or Rufus wins their bet. She'll kill Flynn if he did.


	4. Photographs and Memories (Garcy, Riya, platonic MurderVision)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [#FlynnFriday imagine](https://twitter.com/thalia_msr/status/1225692169622577154): Jiya is gifted a camera and she takes full advantage of it. Taking pics of everyone around the Bunker doing various things. She even convinces Flynn to smile in a few of them.
> 
> #BunkerFamily #MurderVision

Flynn is mildly amused by her excitement, though a little frustrated at the pictures that come out. He sits Jiya down and explains how to work the camera, use natural lighting when you can ("stop using the flash during daytime!"), and composition.

Jiya is impressed. "Didn't take you for a shutterbug."

Flynn's smile is more of a pained grimace. "Lorena... she was a patient teacher. She wanted to document Iris' growth and milestones through pictures. We hav-had a suitcase full of her photos alone."

It's hard to keep the smile on her face, but Jiya tries.

"I'm sorry." Jiya mutters ringing her hands.

Flynn just smiles at her, "It's all good memories." He passes the camera back. "We should definitely document our time here. Maybe we can even sneak it on the Lifeboat."

"Denise would hate that."

"She doesn't have to know."

She hands him the camera. "Show me what you got."

He eyes her critically, makes some adjustments before taking a shot. He shows it to her. "Oh." Her face is in sharp detail while the background is in gentle focus, the harsh distant overhead lights turned into soft glowing orbs.

Flynn smiles softly at her reaction. "That's a bokkeh shot. Here's how you do it."

He takes some minutes showing Jiya the camera settings and the lens adjustments before Jiya tries it. She looks at Flynn's rather candid portrait. He looks like in the middle of pointing something out; it wasn't bad, actually. Then again, Flynn is a photogenic bastard. Lucy would _definitely_ want this.

"Maybe we can have a Bunker calendar!" Jiya jokes and as Flynn laughs at it she snaps a photo of him, making him roll his eyes. "What? You looked cute."

"Take pictures of Wyatt or Rufus. You know, people who _like_ to smile."

"You smile when you're near Lucy." Jiya innocently states.

"Not true."

"And she smiles back whenever she sees it."

"She does not." He's still not looking at her, but the dimple is prominent on his face. She snaps a pic. Does this man ever have a bad angle? Unfair. Lucy will die if she sees these.

"Okay, stop! Save some space for other people." He puts his hand up to block her attempts.

"Fine. I'll go annoy Wyatt until Rufus gets out of the shower. Lucy's reading and I don't wanna get between her and her book."

"Annoy Mason."

"He's listening to his records." She rolls her eyes.

"Fiiine. I know when I'm not wanted, so I'll go." She goes to stand, but not before taking another shot.

"Will you just go??"

Jiya figures Lucy won't drive her away, so she quietly announces herself so she won't startle. Remembering Flynn's tips, she fiddles w/ the camera settings and takes a picture of Lucy. She gives a start and looks up.

"Ooh! Sorry! Did I startle you?"

Lucy sighs, gestures for the camera. 

"You're not allowed to delete anything!" she warns her before handing it over.

"That's not bad," Lucy comments of her own pic, then sees the others. She's wearing a soft expression at seeing Flynn's pictures, a smile threatening to break out.

Jiya wants to go all gooey at Lucy's expression. If only that big jerk can see this! 

"Are you going to print these?" Lucy asks still looking at a smirking Flynn.

"Yes, Ma'am. Just point out the ones you want." She looks over the older woman's shoulder. "You want all of the ones with Flynn?"

Lucy blushes, but nods her head anyway. "He's very photogenic."

"Yeah, the camera just LOVES him," Jiya responds cheekily.

Lucy turns back to her friend with a scowl and narrowed eyes. "What are you trying to say?"

She gestures at the camera. "Like you said. He's very photogenic. Easy on the eyes. Who wouldn't wanna see that everyday?" 

Lucy looks back at the picture and Jiya does everything in her power _not_ to scream at her friend. Her dumb, DUMB friend.

"I suppose...We should take a picture together!"

Jiya rolls her eyes, but sets it up anyway. She'll get them together sooner or later.

They made several poses, each more ridiculous than the previous ones. Giggling and out of breath, the two separate, but not before Jiya takes one more shot.

"Hey! I wasn't ready," Lucy makes a grab for the camera. Jiya swats her hand playfully.

"It came out alright; don't worry."

Flynn is walking by their open door when he hears them giggling. He stops in front of the threshold, "Rufus isn't wearing a shirt in the common room if you plan on taking more pictures." He informs, staring at the beautiful smile that's on Lucy's face. "But I see your having fun."

The last sentence is barely out before Jiya goes out the door in a shot. Flynn barely gets out of the way in time.

Lucy gives him a Look. "Please. Rufus isn't parading in the common room half-naked."

"Not if you tell him Jiya would want to take photos," Flynn replies grinning.

"And did YOU happen to tell him that Jiya is taking pictures of everyone?" She walks up and leans against the threshold.

He smiles down at her. She is _very_ close. "I might have. Helping a friend and all that." He licks his lips and he notices she tracks the movement. "I should go."

Neither seem to move, staring at each other.

A loud clatter and shout of "Rufus!" breaks the moment and they both rush to find out what happened.

In the main room, they find a shirtless Rufus laying on the floor between the sofa and coffee table.

"What happened?" Lucy asks.

"Rufus was trying to pose for the camera," Jiya explains. "Mistakes were made."

"Is he okay?"

"Oh, he'll be fine."

Rufus moans with the sound of hurt pride. "Just leave me here to die." 

Lucy covers her grinning mouth.

"Did you at least capture that winning moment?" Flynn asks Jiya.

She snorts as if saying "Du-uh!"

He goes over to look. "Well done!"

"Have some pity for the man who lost his dignity here!" Rufus cuts in as he picks himself up from the floor.

The jump alarm chooses that moment to sound. Denise walks in and takes one look at the scene. "I don't want to know."

Everyone snickers but head towards the computer to find out where the Mothership jumps.

"San Francisco, 1936."

"That's the Great Depression," Lucy says.

"Lots of migrants came into California looking for work," Lucy continued.

"You know the drill," Denise tells them and they start to move.

Jiya quietly shoves the camera in Flynn's hand.

"Jiya?"

"Take pictures while you're there," she says.

"Of what?"

Jiya winks.

"Why don't _you_ pilot? I can't hold this and a gun." He shoves the camera back to her discreetly. "And you'll have a better chance to hide it in your skirts or something."

"Problem?"

Flynn doesn't jump at Denise's question. A quiet gasp, maybe. "Jiya wants to pilot."

Denise looks suspiciously between them for a moment before dismissing their overly bright smiles as them being weird. "It's Rufus's turn to pilot. You went on the last jump."

"Let her take my place. I think I pulled something." Rufus responds from his position on the floor.

Denise sighs in the way only a mother can. "Just get going."

Jiya gives Rufus a quick kiss and then they are in the lifeboat and off to 1930s California.

Flynn helps Lucy out of the Lifeboat by lifting her up and sitting her down.

Jiya mumbles, "Damn, should've taken a pic."

"And I'm not doing that with Wyatt," Flynn quips.

"Oh, fuck no," Wyatt exclaims as he emerges last, hopping out. "That's... a digital camera." He points to the thing in Jiya's hands.

"... maybe?"

That got Lucy's attention, glancing at Jiya, then Flynn.

He throws his hands up.

"It was her idea to bring it."

"And his for me to go with."

Lucy rolls her eyes. "I've half a mind to ground you to the Lifeboat."

"I'll be _very_ discreet?" Jiya says sweetly, batting her lashes.

Lucy and Wyatt groans.

"Whatever," Lucy sighs. "Let's go find some clothes and steal a car."

They start to walk into town and Jiya starts taking some landscape shots, and a few of buildings long gone in their future.

If she managed to also get a few of Flynn or Lucy lit perfectly by the sun...

"Stop," Lucy tells her.

"Check out this one I got of Flynn while we were stopped on the road," Jiya shows her the camera.

Lucy takes the camera, annoyed, then pauses. "Oh..."

Wyatt purses his lips. "Lucy, mission..."

It takes a minute for Lucy to compose herself while trying NOT to fan her hot face.

"Jiya. You can show me after the mission. Okay?"

Jiya puts the camera away for the moment, while they get dressed in 30's attire and steal a 1933 Chrysler.

"Where to, Lucy?" Flynn asked.

"My bet is the Resettlement Administration," she said. "They built camps for the migrant workers leaving the Dust Bowl."

"Rittenhouse cares why?" Wyatt asks

"Because next year," Flynn says, "it becomes the Farm Security Agency."

"That's right." Lucy smiles at him. "Rittenhouse likely wants to manipulate the growing industry in Cali."

As they head off to fight Rittenhouse, Jiya snaps a pic of them smiling at each other.

Flynn sidles up to Jiya. "Better keep that," he; suggests in a murmur. "We'll hit populated areas soon."

Jiya looks up at him. "But..."

Flynn only stares, until she sighs and stows the camera into the carpet bag she took for this very reason. 

Lucy was right about Rittenhouse and they found themselves in a shootout in a newly built, but unopened migrant camp.

"Let's go," Flynn barks as he covers them.

They move from their cover towards the car.

Jiya stops, realizing she doesn't have the bag, "I left the camera in the tent."

Flynn blows out a breath. His past self would just leave it, but Present Flynn has more respect for Lucy's thoughts—and her glorious wrath.

"Wyatt, get them to the Lifeboat. I'll cover you."

Understanding and alarm crosses Lucy's face. "Flynn..."

He ignores her as he turns to Jiya. "Tell me where it is and I'll get it."

"Are you insane?" Wyatt explodes. "You can't take on five of them! Let's take them on _then_ get it."

Flynn turns to Lucy, the question in his gaze, asking for her decision.

"If either of them gets shot, I'm going to kill you." Lucy says to Jiya as she drags her to a more secure hiding place.

Flynn looks at Wyatt and motions for him to cover him as he runs out shooting. He only gets one. "Why do we never have machine guns?" He yells over at Wyatt.

"We'll put semi autos on our next grocery list!" He hollers back, firing wildly and missing.

"Put in some grenades and claymores while you're at it!" He waits for his chance before taking the shot. One more down.

Suddenly, they're getting a hail of bullets. "WHAT DID I TELL YOU?"

"SHADDUP, FLYNN!"

He sees one goon take off to Lucy's general direction. Flynn's farther from them than Wyatt is, and his ammo's too low to lay cover fire and Wyatt's got his spare gun. Fuck.

"COVER ME!" Wyatt's eyes widen but does it anyway.

Flynn grits his teeth and makes chase.

He tackles the goon just as the guy goes to fire a round at Jiya. "Sweet tackle, Flynn!" Is all he hears Jiya say as he pummels the guy.

Once the goon is unconscious, Flynn stands and sees Wyatt take out another one. 'There's one more' he thinks just before he feels a burning sensation in his leg and side. He looks down to see that knives were thrown at him. He is then tugged to the ground by the girls for cover.

A few more shots ring out before Wyatt runs up to them with a knife lodged in his shoulder. "Dude! That knife thrower was a dick."

"You think??" He grouses gesturing at the blades protruding from himself. Wyatt grimaces.

"Are we in the clear?" Lucy asks as she crouches by Flynn, hands fluttering uselessly, unused to triaging.

"It isn't safe to take them out unless we have the equipment."

"I got a first-aid kit in that bag!" Jiya announces. "Compressed gauze and all."

Flynn grins at her. "Well done, Mary Poppins. Take care of Wyatt, then take him with you to get that bag. Be careful."

Jiya squeezes his arm and proceeds to extract the blade from Wyatt's shoulder and packs the wound with strips from their dresses. She then helps Lucy wrap Flynn's wounds, carefully working around the blades.

Once done, Jiya leads Wyatt to the tent, leaving Lucy and Flynn to fend for themselves.

"Have you learned your lesson?" Lucy asked, glaring down at the injured man.

"Yes. Next time I'll let Jiya get shot." He grimaces when she flicks the handle of one of the knives.

"Not that, you jerk. This is why we can't bring anything from our time to the past. What if he was aiming for your head? I can't lose you, Garcia… and I refuse to lose you because we left something behind that shouldn't even be here." A tear fell down her face.

Flynn hesitates a moment before bringing her hand to his lips and laying a kiss on it. They hear a camera snap.

They both groan. Lucy turns away from them to swipe at her eyes.

"Jiya! Not when I'm stuck like I'm a pin cushion!" Flynn moans as Jiya gives them a cheeky grin. Behind her, Wyatt is scratching the back of his head and looking anywhere but them.

"Both of you aren't off the hook yet." Lucy reminds Flynn and Jiya.

"Are you going to tell Denise?" Jiya asks quietly.

Lucy considers the plaintive looks from both faces. She narrows her eyes at them. "Are you going to bring the camera on our next missions?"

"May-"—Wyatt pokes her—"No...?" Jiya glares at him.

"Are you lying?" Lucy narrows her eyes at the younger woman.

"...No."

"Unbelievable. Lets get Flynn fixed up, so we can leave." Wyatt says, trying to move past this conversation. He had crouched down and gripped the handle sticking out of Flynn's side. "Ready, buddy?"

Flynn reached for Lucy's hand as Jiya grabbed the necessary equipment from her bag to assist. He grunts as Wyatt immediately pulls it out once Jiya is all set. " _Really_??"

"It's better if you're not expecting it." Wyatt responds with a sympathetic grimace. "Wanna keep the knives?

Flynn scoffs. "Yeah! I'd like to return the favor _next_ time."

Jiya perks up. "Oooh, can you teach me how?"

They all turn to her, speaking at once.

"NO!" Lucy and Wyatt retorts.

"... maybe."

"FLYNN!"

"It's not like we'll use live targets for practice!" He reasons. These are the times Lucy questions her attraction to the man.

"We're tabling this talk indefinitely," she declares with a room of her eyes. "Now, can we finish patching you two up while you're BOTH still conscious?"

"Jiya already took care of it. I'm gonna need a few stitches, but a quick patch would hold till we get home." Wyatt says as he pulls the knife from Flynn's leg, earning another grunt and glare from the tall man.

"I hate Rittenhouse… knife throwing… really?" Flynn comments as Wyatt helps him to his feet.

"Better a knife than a bullet." Wyatt tries to lighten the mood and Flynn chuckles at that. Agreeing.

Jiya snaps a picture of the two smiling at each other. A rare occurrence. Flynn enjoyed sassing Wyatt more than anything.

"I'm gonna break that."

Jiya pouts. "But your teachings will go to waste! And I have a ways to go, my master!"

Flynn sighs at her dramatics. He's not going to admit aloud (not here, anyway) that she's got a good eye and good timing. He can't wait to see what she took.

"And since the guys didn't get shot, Lucy won't kill me!"

Lucy side-eyes her w/ a fond shake of her head. "You, Flynn and I will have a sit-down about the virtues of discretion and hazards of bringing current objects to the past." Wyatt chuckles. "Oh, that goes for you, too."

"B-but, Lucy...!" 

_Click !_

Jiya gets a perfect pic of Wyatt pouting like a five-year-old.

Lucy turns her stern face on Jiya who simply takes another photo of her looking striking.

"What?" Jiya says. "I'm the pilot. You can't kill me until after I take you home."

Jiya takes a pic of Lucy's face.

"These better be amazing." Lucy grumbles, walking ahead of the group.

Wyatt helps Flynn walk by letting him lean on him. Jiya snapping pictures of them and their surrounding area. Wyatt quickly takes the camera from her and takes a snap of her looking annoyed. "It's only fair."

They get to the car and Wyatt frowns as he gets in. "We don't have enough gas to get back to the Lifeboat."

"Can we make it to town?" Lucy asks.

"No. But we should be able to make the camp we passed."

"The one full of migrants?" Flynn points out.

"You have a better idea?"

"I guess not." Flynn says, stepping back out the car. "Maybe we'll get lucky and find a nurse to stitch us up." He says optimistically.

Jiya snaps another picture of the three of them in front of the car. They all give her a look, but she just shrugs. "You all look like models."

"Yes, cause bloody bandages are this year's hot new trend." Flynn rolls his eyes. "Get in the car, Dorothea."

"Dorothea?"

"Oh, yes." Lucy smiles at him "Famous photographer who took pictures of these camps and the Great Depression. How do you know about her?"

Flynn hesitates. He gives a tight smile, one that Lucy recognizes. "Lorena. She was a war photographer. It's how I met her."

Everyone got silent at the admission. "Is that how you know all the photography tricks?" Jiya asked nervously.

He smiles down at her. "Yeah. She was a great teacher."

Jiya's lower lip trembles. For all the grief Flynn's given them as an adversary, he's nothing but patient, gracious (if very sassy) and protective as a teammate—not to mention a good partner in crime. And because of her neglect, he and Wyatt are hurt, now he's reliving a memory of a murdered loved one...

She hugs Flynn's free arm. "Sorry..."

He shakes his head once. "Don't be; it's a good memory."

"Not just that," Jiya insists, gesturing at his injuries and Wyatt's. Her eyes start to well up.

He frees his arm from her grasp and wraps it around her shoulder, pulling her close to his uninjured side. "I don't blame you. I wanted to save the pictures." He smirks and drops a kiss to the top of her head.

Wyatt snaps a pic and smiles down at the result. "Damn, that's adorable."

Jiya looks up. "That better come out good..."

Wyatt smirks at her.

"If we're all done photowalking," Lucy crisply reminds her teammates, "we need to get home." She pauses. "Is this what parenting feels like?"

Flynn, being the only legitimate parent in their group, shrugs.

Wyatt hands the camera back to Jiya who then takes one last shot of the team.

Bloody.

Beaten.

Worn.

But never defeated.

She thinks to herself, when the truth finally comes out about time travel, this is the photo that everyone will remember. 


	5. Beach Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [#FlynnFriday imagine](https://twitter.com/thalia_msr/status/1230815178809278465): The team finally has some downtime and Denise allows them to go to the beach for a few hours. Jiya brings her camera along, much to the annoyance of everyone.
> 
> #TimeTeam #timeless

"Did you not learn your lesson?" Flynn asks as he catches Jiya taking a photo of him.

"That was in the past, literally." She smiles innocently at him, then takes another picture.

"Your boyfriend is over there." Flynn points at Rufus.

"Oh, he's next." She winks.

Flynn rolls his eyes at the young woman and makes a face at the lens. She snaps a pic and giggles delighted with herself. "Now go away."

Jiya sticks her tongue out at him, but does as told to mess with Rufus.

"She's only gonna come back." Wyatt says as he walks past him.

Flynn snorts. "'Course, she will."

Lucy bounds up to him. "I still can't believe Denise is letting us go on this trip? Are you excited? I'm excited. Can you tell?"

He smiles fondly. "No, Lucy," he says with a chuckle. "I hadn't noticed."

She sits next to him, smiling brightly. "Are you going to get in the water?"

"Maybe."

"Come on!" She tugs on his arm, but he refuses to budge. He just smirks at her. "Fine."

She stands and walks away. She looks lovely in her one piece bathing suit. A flash went off. "JIYA!"

"You look great, Lucy!" Jiya tells her and then shows her the camera. "You look really happy."

Pink dusts Lucy's cheek at seeing herself on the viewfinder. More so when she sees Garcia looking at it with a soft expression.

"Enough of that! Come onnnn!" She pulls at Garcia's arm towards the water.

Garcia looks down at himself. He's wearing board shorts and black tank top.

Rufus and Wyatt of course had gotten shirtless and are already horsing around in the water. He sighs and lets himself be dragged towards it.

They are thigh deep in the water when Jiya screams in surprise as she feels Flynn's arms go around her waist and  _ launch  _ her into the air. She resurfaces to find everyone laughing at her. Flashes are going off over at the shore. Connor, fully clothed, is taking pictures. With  _ her  _ camera. 

"I'm going to drown you." She threatens Flynn.

"You'll be under water long before I am." Flynn taunts her as he continues to walk further into the ocean.

Wyatt and Rufus are playing with a nerf football, with Rufus trying to teach Lucy how to properly throw it.

Seeing them play in the water, the feel and smell of the ocean filling his senses, takes Flynn back on countless outings with friends in the Adriatic. He sighs at the memories as he lets himself float on the water, reveling at the great expanse of blue before him. It'll be a long while before he sees this and any body of water again, who knows.

Flynn dives deep, treading the water, and for a moment everyone has a sudden thought of "where is he, shouldn't he be back up now?"

But he breaches the surface when he's ready, pleased that after all these years, he can still swim like he was born in the sea.

He dives in again.

Lucy watches him from the corner of her eye. They all do. They'd never seen Flynn look so… calm. He breaks the surface once more, just as Jiya has swam behind him and jumps on his back. Dragging him back under.

"DIE YOU HEATHEN!"

Flynn just readjusts his footing and stands up; he was only a little over waist deep in the water. "What are you doing?"

Jiya was wrapped around him like a feral child, still trying to drown him. "REVENGE WILL BE MINE!"

Flynn looks towards Connor, still snapping pictures of them, the older man laughing at them.

"I'm going to dive back under," Flynn tells her.

"You wouldn't dare," she says, still latched onto him

"3... 2... 1..."

Jiya's screaming turns into gurgling as they go under. Flynn feels her detaching from him as he swims deeper.

"YOU MENACE!" Jiya manages in between choking, coughing and laughing as she resurfaces. "I'LL GET YOU YET!"

Flynn resurfaces a minute later, choking as he laughs.

Rufus, Wyatt and Lucy all look at each other before Wyatt throws the football towards the shore, all of them wanting to splash around with Flynn and Jiya.

Rufus reaches Jiya and dives under her until her legs rested on his shoulders and he stood with her on him. She towers over Flynn.

"GET 'IM, MY LOVE!" Rufus eggs her on as Jiya mock-grapples with Flynn.

"Come on! I'll take you both on!" Flynn taunts with a shit-eating grin, effortlessly keeping Jiya at bay.

Lucy and Wyatt share a look, grins, and swims towards the scuffle.

Flynn pushes her and she topples into the water. Wyatt swims next to Rufus, urging Jiya to slide up and sit on his left shoulder and Rufus's right. For better support, so she isn't knocked down so easily.

"I'm leveling up Flynn!" Jiya shouts with a smile. Secured by both men.

"Okay, 3-to-1 is rather unfair," Lucy announces as she swims up to Flynn. There's surprise in his eyes a moment, before he grins and dives, hoists Lucy up on his shoulders, much to Lucy's delightful shriek.

"Now. We're even." Flynn declares with a devious grin.

Jiya and Lucy spent the next six minutes trying to knock each other down, but their helpers were steady andbarley moved. Wyatt looks at Flynn and motions for him to dip Lucy before he does the same to Jiya.

"I'm hot." Flynn said before sitting down, taking a screaming Lucy with him.

"You bastard!" Lucy sputters, alternating between coughing and laughing, pulling at Flynn's hair playfully. She slides awkwardly off his shoulders, unable to keep her balance from laughing.

"My minions have betrayed me!" Jiya wails as she swipes the hair from her eyes.

As Lucy slides off, she kicks Flynn in the head accidently and falls into the water. It's really not bad, Flynn's had worse, but Lucy panics after she realizes it.

"Flynn!" she shouts as she stands up, head barely above water, looking for him. All she sees is Jiya, Rufus and Wyatt

"Flynn?" When he doesn't resurface she  _ really  _ begins to panic. "FLYNN!?"

He suddenly shoots up out of water and tackles both Rufus and Wyatt, bringing them underwater with him. Like a shark. Both men let out screams of terror before they are silenced by the water.

"THAT MAN IS A MENACE IN THE WATER AND MUST BE STOPPED!" Jiya flails her arm towards the spot the men used to be.

Rufus pops up, coughing and spitting up water. "WHERE'S WYATT?! HE SAVED ME!"

The three look around before Flynn, with Wyatt in his hands breaks the surface and  _ tosses  _ him 10 feet into the air, Wyatt screaming the entire time.

They watched him slam back into the water and winced.

"HOLY SHIT! THAT'S FREAKY!!" Rufus splashes around, afraid of where Flynn would show up next.

"-at bastard is 'alf-shark, I swear!" Wyatt breaks the surface and takes in more water as he curses up a storm.

While everyone is looking around the water, looking for Shark Boy, Lucy feels hands on both of her legs. She doesn't move, afraid he'd launch her in the air. The hands then slowly make their way up her sides. She hears Flynn emerges from the water behind her. Her pulse was beating at a rapid pace. His hands stops at her waist as he hovers behind her. "..Flynn?" Her voice was soft.

"Sorry." He answered back just as soft, "I had to catch my breath."

The others hasn't noticed the giant man behind Lucy, still searching the water. "Better?"

"Not really."

Lucy huffs a breathless laugh and turns around to look at him. He looks just as out of breath as she is (granted for different reasons). But what stutters her breathing is the dazzling smile on his face, his mirth reaching his eyes. 

For a moment she forgets to move and starts to sink, but Flynn grips her waist more tightly.

"Whoa, there." His smile turns tender, his eyes intense and searching hers.

"Flynn?" She licks her lips.

His eyes track their movement. "Yeah?" he whispers.

She leans close with a flirty smile. "You're toast."

She turns. "GET HIM, GUYS!!"

Three heads swivel in their direction, each with a crazy look about them. They rush towards the pair.

"That wasn't fair." Flynn says before leaning forward and pressing his body against hers.

Lucy's brain  _ immediately _ shuts down. Flynn takes the moment to launch her into the air.

_ That was considerate of him _ , was one of her fleeting thoughts as she's launched into the air. Flynn threw her high enough for her to tuck her body in on time before breaking through the water.

She comes up to the surface to three slacked-jawed faces, who then whoops it up.

"Did you two work in a water circus or something??" Rufus accuses them.

Flynn shrugs as he treads water. "Lived by the ocean."

"Swim lessons."

"As one should." Jiya rolls her eyes.

"Nice form on the entry," Wyatt comments. "What?" he says as they eye him. "I watch the Olympics."

"You all know that I'm a bad swimmer, right?" Rufus says, realizing he may be next to get tossed. "I'm a victim of the systematic racism against black people in public swimming pools."

"You ganged up on me with them!" Flynn pointed to the others.

"Um... I defect?"

"RUFUS!"

Flynn sighs dramatically. "Guess that leaves you, Jiya." He treads towards her.

"No. Nonononononononoooooooo-No!" She flounders to put some distance from him. 

The boys sing a vaguely familiar tune.

Lucy sighs. "Please, not the Jaws theme while we're  _ in the ocean _ !"

"You started this!" Flynn tells Jiya as he stalks her, trying not to laugh.

Jiya suddenly stops. "Yes, I did."

Everyone watches as a grinning Jiya dives into the water and disappears under the waves.

"Where did she go?" Lucy asks.

"Rufus," Flynn says. "How well can Jiya swim?"

A stray image of his shorts floating on the water gets Flynn to go under before Jiya gets any ideas.

True enough, she's charging up to him impressively fast. But his limbs are longer, so he kicks hard and swims further.

On the surface, Wyatt swears. "Great. Now, there's two of them. How good IS she, Rufus?"

"I don't know!" Rufus shouts. "This is the first time we've both been close to so much as a swimming pool together!"

"ARGH!" Flynn breached the water, missing his shirt.

Jiya had it in hands, laughing her ass off. "Flawless victory!"

"Please tell me you weren't a mermaid in your past life," Wyatt moans.

"Mom paid for swimming lessons to strengthen my heart and respiration," Jiya replies, whirling the black top over her head. "But I like your way of thinking!"

Flynn shoots her a glare through wet fringes, which doesn't faze Jiya, but certainly does... things... for Lucy.

"You're paying for that," Flynn growls.

Jiya pretends to think. "Maybe. After we get something to eat. I'm hungry!"

Undaunted, Flynn gives chase. Jiya is close to the shore, and took off on foot the moment her feet touched the shifting sands underneath.

Flynn stops, not yet ready to leave the water. He turns to find the team making their way out. He dives under.

"What is he doing, now?" Wyatt was looking for any sign of him.

Lucy shrugged but kept trying to make it to shore before she was tossed in the air again.

Rufus was just as suspicious as Wyatt, but when Flynn doesn't surface after a moment, he continues walking. 

Right into Flynn. He lifted him by his thighs out of the water and flipped him over his head. Rufus shrieking the entire time.

"Did you get that?" Jiya asked Connor.

"Yep."

"Okay, big guy, play time's over," Wyatt calls out, afraid of another dunking. "You've had your—"

"BOO!"

They didn't think Wyatt's voice could go that high.

"Fuck! JIYA!!"

She's cackling maniacally from behind him before she runs away, Wyatt in pursuit.

Once Rufus breaks the surface he scrambles to make it to shore, then collapses when he does, Flynn laughing the entire time.

Now it was just him and Lucy in the water. She has stopped to watch Rufus be propelled in the air. "Are you having fun?"

Flynn swims up to her, a smile on his face. "The most fun I've had in years." He admits.

He's close enough for her to touch and he was even squatting in the water so that they were eye level. "You can continue tormenting everyone after lunch."

He raises a bit so that he's over her. "Yes, Professor."

A large wave pushes them closer to the shore, and to each other.

When the water lowers back to normal level, it barely comes up to Flynn's waist. Lucy finds herself staring into his chest and abs.

Anything Lucy is about to say dies in her throat when she sees his torso: mementos of when Flynn's life and hers intertwined, scattered on his skin. Their first meeting at the Hindenburg. Seeking his counsel yet again from the prison's infirmary. When she lost her mom, when they thought they lost Rufus, when they almost lost him. Reminders of their shared past, written on his body.

There are others, too: a thin slash on his left bicep, a rounded discoloration on his left chest. The most prominent one is the long line down his abdomen.

"Flynn..." her hand instinctively reaches out to that long scar, but he catches her wrist in time.

"The others are waiting," he says briskly, too brightly, turning her round towards the shore. "You'll get cold."

He strides faster as they approach Jiya and quickly snatches his tank top from her, not before Lucy glimpses more of his unknown history littering his back as he puts his top back on.

He sits near Rufus, away from Lucy. He looks almost embarrassed. She wasn't meant to see his scars. Especially the one on his abdomen.  _ 'Damn Jiya,' _ he thinks as he's handed a burger. Denise had given them a portable grill and Connor had called dibs as soon as they arrived.

"There's a volleyball net down the way," Wyatt points out.

"Oh!" Jiya beams, then looks at Flynn. "Four against one!"

Flynn is not amused.

"I think I'll sit the next activity out. I just wanna bask in the sun." Flynn says as he grabs another burger and makes his way towards his stuff.

Everyone looks confused at his abrupt change in behavior. "Did we do something?" Rufus asks.

Lucy stands and walks over to him. "Hey."

Now that the others have called attention to his mood shift, she sees it: his shoulders are rounded, not like a few minutes ago when he hoisted her on it, and there's uncertainty in his gaze when their eyes meet. "May I?" She gestures the spot beside him.

"You never have to ask permission from me," he says in his old Flynn way, as he smooths out the beach towel.

"Well, I wasn't sure you wanted any company, despite having fun out there chucking us out into the ocean," she probes gently.

"I'm just tired. You're not all light, and I'm not as young as I was."

She smiles tightly. "Well, I feel like I overstepped. Somewhere." She leans forward to catch his eyes. "I want to make it right, if you'll let me."

The softness returns in his eyes—along with a tinge of... guilt?

"It's nothing you did. Please believe that." He says softly, looking down. "I...I didn't expect you to see..." he points at his torso, indicating his scars.

"Are you ashamed of them?" She says once she's made herself comfortable on the towel.

"Not all of them."

Which means he  _ is  _ ashamed of  _ some _ . Questions dance at the tip of her tongue.

His gaze is probing before a little smile breaks out. "I know you're dying to ask. I'll tell you... one of these days."

"You don't have to unless you're ready," she insists.

"And not right now. How I got them aren't exactly great topics over a pleasant lunch or over a game or something."

She nods. All in good time.

"So, you're really not ashamed of that wicked-looking scar, then?" she tries, couching it with a playful tone.

He shakes his head, smirking. "It... has a story behind it, I'll tell you that much."

"Okay." She stands and brushes the sand from herself. "Are you good for now? Or are you brooding about something else you might or might not wanna talk about?"

"I don't  _ brood _ ."

"You SO brood. Ask everyone."

He snorts and holds out his hand.

She grabs it to help lift him up, but he uses his superior strength to bring her back down. She lands next to him and he smiles at her, "I… am grateful for your friendship." He blushes.

Lucy smiles back at him. "Good, 'cause I'm not going anywhere."

"Good."

They sit there and enjoy the breeze and the water foaming beneath their feet, all thought of rejoining the others forgotten.

They bask in the silence until they hear that infernal click in the distance.

"Hey Flynn!" Jiya hollers w/ a wave. "The zoom features are REALLY cool!"

Flynn puts his sunglasses on and rolls his eyes. "I know." Another click. Another sigh. "We made a mistake letting her keep that."

Lucy laughs at him as Jiya walks over to show them the pictures Connor had taken. "These are really good."

Flynn listens to then gush over the pics and takes the time to twitch out his wet tank for a dry shirt. As he's switching them he looks up to see the camera in his face and he smiles in surprise. "Jiya-"  _ Click _ . "Really?"

"You're a good sport." Jiya says and he quickly finishes putting his shirt on.

"And you're annoying."

He gestures for the camera. "Give it here."

Lucy had taken the chance to pull on her knitted top while Flynn and Jiya were fooling around with her camera. He sees the perfect shot in his head.

"Lucy."

She turns, and then smiles as she sees him with the camera. Flynn doesn't say anything else, and just aims and takes the shot.

He smiles down at the picture and Jiya, happy to have her phone on her, takes a pic of him. He raises a brow at her. "What? You look all smitten. Don't let Lucy catch on to your feelings." She winks at him before taking the camera back.

"It wouldn't be the worst thing to happen."

"Worst thing to happen to what?" Lucy inquires, coming up to them.

"... to Jiya's camera if she doesn't have it checked out after being exposed to bodies of water and ocean air, even if she didn't take it to the water." 

Jiya looks appalled, covering the lens. Flynn wants to point out it's moot. "It should be fine; you can still use it. Just have it cleaned by a pro when we head back."

Jiya lights up, uncovers the lens, then snaps another candid shot before bounding away. They gape after her.

"Starting to regret that?"

He sighs heavily. "Yep."

Lucy glances over at the team. They were heading for the volleyball net. "Do you want to play with the team?"

Flynn thinks it over. He shouldn't have snapped at them earlier and he wanted to apologize...but he also still wanted some time to himself. "Will you hate me if I say no?"

"I don't think I'm capable of hating you, Flynn." He stands and smiles at her as she blushes in return. "But if you need some time, I understand."

"Thank you, Lucy." His voice was soft. _ 'I love you.' _ His brain added when she bumps his shoulder with hers. "I think I'll go swim some more. Clear my head."

Lucy surprises him by throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him. His arms goes around her waist as he returns the embrace.

"What's this for?" He asked.

"You're stuck in your head and I can't help. I  _ can  _ give you a hug to let you know I'm here for you."

He can't say the words thank you because he can't trust what will come out of his mouth, what secrets he might reveal. But she reads it in his eyes, and smiles softly.

After a moment, she pulls away and heads to the volleyball net, glancing back at him as she does so.

Flynn watches her, smiling and relaxing, knowing that if he did choose to tell her about his more emotional scars, real and metaphorical, she truly would understand.

Taking a deep breath, Flynn pulls his shirt over his head and lets the seawater breeze envelop him, scars and all.


	6. Fashion Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [#FlynnFriday imagine](https://twitter.com/thalia_msr/status/1233319703130648576): Jiya decides that Garcia needs a new outfit for their outing and takes him shopping. Lucy enjoys the sudden transformation and can't take her eyes off of him.
> 
> #MurderVision #Garcy

Every time Flynn enters the room now wearing a new outfit, Lucy has some sort of memorable meltdown. She over pours her coffee mug, she misses the chair she was trying to sit in, etc. This does not go unnoticed by the bunker’s new man of fashion.

He mostly thinks it's just because of her clumsy nature. But he likes to think that maybe it's him. Maybe she finds him attractive enough to lose control of her senses? But that can't be it. What of Wyatt? It wouldn't matter what he thinks if she has feelings for the soldier.

He decides to run an experiment of sorts after one particularly epic moment where Lucy drops all of her history textbooks when he walks past her wearing a fitted black V-neck and jeans that leave little to the imagination. The next day, he dons a baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants.

Nothing happens the entire day. Matter of fact, he had barely seen Lucy. She had eaten breakfast with the team, but then she seemed to have vanished. He knew she was with Wyatt at one point because he had grabbed dinner for the both of them. Maybe he was wrong. She liked Wyatt.

Flynn didn’t quite get it, but there was no accounting for some people’s taste. He didn’t think Wyatt was very smart or interesting, but maybe her shared experience time traveling with the soldier was enough for Lucy. Maybe Wyatt always being presented as the hero outweighed the fact that Flynn had been assigned the title of “bad guy” from day one. If he struggled to see himself in a good light, it would not be surprising if Lucy did as well.

Disheartened by the fact that Lucy didn't desire him the way he did her, he turned in early for the night, wishing that Rittenhouse would jump so he could shoot something. But when he woke up the next morning, he realized that his wish didn't come true. Typical.

It was very early, so he decided to grab a shower before Wyatt used up all the hot water.

On his way, he noticed Lucy and Wyatt at the kitchen table. Their backs were to him. Lucy was gushing about all the time they were spending together. Flynn walked away, not wanting to intrude on a moment.

He decided he'd work off his frustrations on the bench press in the common room instead. He warmed up first with some stretches (he's not an idiot). As he did some lunges, he heard an unusual sound, like someone stepped on a mouse. He thought nothing of it, stretched his arms overhead. As he counted down he made a half turn to get a glimpse at the table.

Lucy was a bright red and Wyatt looked amused. He must have said something to warrant that response from her. Flynn decided to take his shirt off for the exercise. The last time he had done this, his shirt had gotten caught on a loose screw and ripped it. He and Wyatt used it enough times to loosen the screw every now and then, so he didn't want to risk another shirt.

A choking noise could be heard from the table before metal screeched. He looked and noticed Lucy was gone and her chair was turned over in her rush out the door.

Well that didn’t go as hoped. If he hadn’t been certain earlier, he was now. Lucy had been so horrified at his shirtless appearance she couldn’t even be in the same vicinity as him.

He wanted to ask Wyatt, if he and Lucy were together. If she was happy. If he thought about his pregnant wife working with Rittenhouse… Okay, maybe that last one was his jealousy speaking, but he didn't trust the blonde with Lucy's heart. He had already broken it; he could do so again.

Screw the bench press, he wanted to punch something. 

He went for his hand wraps and made quick work wrapping his hands. Foregoing his gloves, he attacked the punching bag with more viciousness than warranted.

He went for it for a good 20 minutes, working himself into a sweaty mess. Just as he was about to call it quits, Lucy walked into the common area again. Clearly, she thought he was done, because as soon as she saw him, she let out a sound akin to an injured cat, and turned to go back in the direction from which she came. Unfortunately, the sight of him was so horrific to her, she tripped over her feet not once, not twice, but three times, and ended up sprawled face down on the couch.

"Lucy! You okay?"

He was at her side in an instant, carefully sitting her up on the couch. He quickly ran his hands over her face, through her scalp, then down her arms, and checked for injuries.

He's puzzled at her bright-red face, and her eyes glued to his stomach. Oh, shit: the scar. If she thought him undesirable then, she'd think he's hideous now. Smooth, Garcia. Real smooth.

Somebody shoot him now...

She wasn’t answering and was just staring at the scar. He felt terrible for being so hideous to look at that she injured herself. 

"Lucy?"

She just stood up and left quickly. Was he supposed to go after her? He could hear Wyatt and Jiya laughing. Was Lucy telling them about his scar?

He was certain they were all sharing a laugh at his expense, but when he glared in the direction of the laughter, he didn't see Lucy. Not sure why Wyatt and Jiya were laughing it up, seemingly at his expense, he headed in the direction of the showers once again. He planned to scrub the morning’s sweat and humiliation completely from his body.

He walked into the bathroom and stripped, thinking about how he could have traumatized Lucy so much that she ran away from him. He had only agreed to the stupid makeover because Jiya said it made him look sexy. And he was stupid enough to think that Lucy might think the same.

Once he was cleaned, he realized that he hadn't brought any extra clothes with him. Or his towel. He didn't want to put his sweaty clothes back on, so he opened the door and leaned out. _'Oh, great.'_ He thought, seeing Lucy and Wyatt walking down the hall. "Hey. I need help."

Lucy's eyes promptly doubled in size and she stopped so suddenly that Wyatt walked into her. Now it was Flynn's turn to blush. He was so tired of disgusting Lucy with every interaction they've had in the last 24 hours. Then he realized... Wyatt disappeared. He didn't even see him leave.

Lucy noticed half a second later, then it dawned on her that it's up to her to help Flynn. No one was here to bail her out. Gulping loudly, she asked Flynn, "What do you need?" She was face to face with his nipples and her voice is one octave higher than usual, but she considered this a success. She stared patiently at his nipples, waiting for a response.

God, she can't even look him in the face anymore. He sighed, more upset with himself that he actually thought he had a chance with her. She clearly doesn't like him. "Towel." He had said a little too harshly. She flinched at his tone, but immediately said she'd find him one.

He closed the door and gave it a good punch to try and calm down. He wasn't mad at Lucy and he shouldn't have sounded so rude. He'd apologize later… when he was in appropriate attire. A knock sounded, so he opened the door. Wyatt was handing him a towel with a grin on his face.

"Hey man," the soldier said with a smirk on his face. "I knew Lucy wouldn't be able to handle such a simple request. She's been a bit... distracted... lately, if you hadn't noticed. Handing your naked ass a towel might just push her over the edge." 

Flynn glared at Wyatt as he snatched the towel and huffed a thanks. Then his brain caught up with his ears, and he realized what Wyatt just said. "Look, I didn't mean anything by my new wardrobe or exercising without my shirt. I had no idea she'd be so offended by it all." He waited for Wyatt to laugh at him.

Wyatt just gave him a puzzled look, even let out a confused chuckle. "What?"

Flynn rolled his eyes and shut the door so he could wrap the towel around his waist. When he opened the door again Wyatt was still there. "Move."

"Lucy is disgusted by you. Is that what you think?" he asked, clearly upset about something.

He ignored the soldier and pushed past him to get to his room. He didn't expect for Wyatt to follow him to his door. "If you want a show, you're gonna have to pay for it."

"I'll pay for it, but only if you show Lucy."

"Fuck off, Logan."

He goes to close the door in Wyatt's face, but to his surprise, the shorter man blocked it from closing with his boot. "What are you playing at?" Flynn growled.

Wyatt looked at him in annoyance. "You really don't make it easy, do you?" When Flynn raised an eyebrow at him, Wyatt continued.

"You're a smart person, Flynn, but you are really flailing here. Why don't you go talk to Lucy? Trust me. You've got her all wrong here." And with one last exasperated look at his former enemy, Wyatt withdrew his foot and allowed Flynn's door to close.

Flynn thinks of Wyatt's words as he dresses. What was the soldier even talking about? Lucy was disgusted by him and decided to spend all her free time with Wyatt. Nothing to discuss. He wanted to crawl into a ball and sulk, but a knock on his door had him shelving that idea. "Who?"

"It's me." He would recognize that voice anywhere. He opened the door for her. She wasn't even looking at him. "Wyatt said you wanted to talk?"

He was going to strangle that soldier the first chance he got. He took a step back and she entered, face towards the ground.

He allowed her to settle comfortably onto the foot of his bed, tucking one foot under the opposite knee, as he lowered himself into his chair. He watched her watching the floor for a full ten seconds before deciding, _to hell with it_. He took a deep breath...

"Lucy, have I done something to offend you, or is there something about me that's troubling you?" 

She whipped her eyes up to his face, and uttered a confused wordless sound, before lowering her eyes once more.

"Lucy, you haven't been able to look at me for days! What's going on?"

"Hey." He inched closer, careful not to come into contact with her. That might not be what she wanted right now, and it looked like it was a struggle in itself for her to bring herself to even talk to him. 

"It's okay," he called gently. "Whatever it is you want to say, go ahead."

Lucy opened and closed her mouth several times before freezing with it open, then blushed as she realized she’s gaping like a fish. Flynn sighed, taking pity on her. “Lucy, I owe you an apology. I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable walking around without a shirt.”

She gaped some more.

She made more wordless aborted sounds, until she finally managed a "What?" in the middle of it.

"It was crass and inconsiderate of me," he went on, "parading around half-naked in the common room, no less."

Color rose to her cheeks. "Y-yes... actually, I don't think..."

He really was making her uncomfortable. He lowered his gaze. "I know, I'm being such an ass," he acknowledged glumly. 

His self-deprecating words seemed to cut her to the core. “Flynn, you’ve got it all wrong,” she began. “It wasn’t just you being shirtless,” she says, the last word a mere whisper.

 _Oh, no_. “My clothes. My CLOTHES! When I see Jiya...” he growled. He knew it. His new wardrobe had not fooled Lucy. Jiya had intended for some new clothes to help Lucy see him in a new light, but she may have been put off by such an obvious effort on his part to try to look halfway decent for her, especially if she was into Wyatt.

She frowned. "Jiya? What about Jiya?"

"It was _her_ idea that I wear these new outfits and try to–" 

He gesticulated helplessly, wildly trying to come up with a lie, but then caved in on himself. "Try to look good. For you." The last words come out softly through clenched teeth.

Lucy’s sharp intake of breath told him all he needed to know about what she thought about this. “I’m sorry, Lucy. It was too... forward... especially with Wyatt and all that.”

Lucy shook her head. “Flynn, I... I’m very confused right now, but I assure you, there’s no need for you to apologize. For anything. I’ve rather...” She cleared her throat. She cleared it again. “...enjoyed... your new wardrobe.” She fell silent. 

He just stared at her. He had half a mind to stick his finger in his ear to make sure he was hearing properly, but that was gross.

She continued, stronger now that she’s started. “I also, for what it’s worth, truly enjoyed your workout this morning.” Now that she’s said it, she appeared braver, emboldened by her admission. She stared at him, a lovely blush in her cheeks, waiting for him to respond.

He just raises a brow at her. "Y-you ENJOYED… it?" Now he was confused. If she had enjoyed it why did she run for the hills? "Oh." Is all he said because he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Flynn?"

He didn't look up at her. "Why have you been spending so much time with Wyatt?" The question threw her off and he interrupted that as a confession. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be asking about your love life. It's inappropriate."

Lucy's eyes widen at the last line and she stands. _'Great. She's bolting again,'_ he thought before she moved to kneel in front of him, hand on his knee. "Lucy?"

"Wyatt and I are NOT together. I've been spending time with him because he's been trying to make up for everything he's done. He's trying to be a friend. It's why I'm here."

Flynn's brain brought him back to a different time. "Why are you here?"

Lucy gulped, her courage abandoning her now that the moment was here. But she thought back on what Wyatt told her this morning, that she deserved happiness, and she squared her shoulders and squeezed his knee lightly. 

“I’m here because I’ve been running away from you for weeks, ever since you started wearing more… flattering… clothing. Flynn, isn’t it obvious? I’m attracted to you, and with what you’ve been wearing, or this morning, not wearing, I haven’t known how to hide that. Wyatt knows, he’s been encouraging me to talk to you about it.”

Flynn's mind went blank and he didn’t know what to say or do. She was _attracted_ to him? Him? Garcia Flynn?

"...Why..." was all he can manage, but it caused Lucy to laugh and it's been weeks since he made her laugh that it washes over him like a wave. He takes her hand on his knee and mutters, "I miss hearing you laugh."

Lucy chuckles, "That's why I'm attracted to you Flynn. You know how long it's been since I laughed and you're always trying to make me smile in someway. I like you because… you're you." She shrugged, not really sure if she was coherent.

Flynn was blissfully stunned into silence. Everything Lucy was saying was making him happier than the last thing she said, and he just wants to bask in this carefree feeling of joy. He shyly reached out and took her hands, rubbing her knuckles with his thumbs, needing to touch her.

Lucy smiled. “I have a question for you before I go.”

“Okay,” Flynn said, before exclaiming, “Wait, don’t go!” 

Lucy shot him a sly look. “I might be persuaded to stay, if you’ll put on a certain outfit I really liked.”

Flynn raised an eyebrow. “And what might that be?”

Lucy looks like the cat that ate the canary. “The outfit you wore this morning when you were working out.”

Flynn frowned, confused, then he realized what she was saying. He smirked at her. “Okay, but first, what did you want to ask me?”

Lucy blushed. “Do you... find ME attractive?”

Flynn's smile threatened to split his face. "Lucy Preston, I think you are the most beautiful woman I've seen in a very long time."

She stretched so that she is inches away from his face, "I like the way you see me."

He leaned closer, "I'll never see you any other way, Lucy."

Before she could capture his lips, he leaned back and cleared his throat. "I refuse to kiss you in this position. It's rude and I was raised better." He stands her up before doing the same. He walked her to his bed and sat her down before kneeling before her.

She raises a brow at him. "And this is a better position?"

He smiles up at her. "It shows how you are clearly the one in charge. So… yes. Besides, I'm closer to my goal down here." His hands go to her hips.

She inhales sharply, "Oh? And what's that?"

His eyes darkened and his smile turned feral.

"Your lips aren't the only thing I want to kiss, Lucy."

She blushed at that, but a smirk made its way on her face. "I think I might need you to demonstrate what you mean."

He removed his shirt and smiled up at her, hands going to the button on her jeans. "As you wish."


	7. Learn to Fly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [#FlynnFriday imagine:](https://twitter.com/thalia_msr/status/1235844490918678528) Denise insists that everyone takes flying lessons due to a mishap during the last mission. Flynn, already an expert, agrees to help teach the team. Jiya, once again, brings her camera along.
> 
> #MurderVision #GarcyWeekend

_(manip by @sasschronicles on Twitter)_

"Remind me again why it's a good idea that YOU will be giving us flying lessons?" Wyatt grouses.

"Because Denise can't get a properly vetted pilot on short notice," is Flynn's easy reply. "And yours and Rufus' excellent piloting skills during the last mission forced her hand."

Both men look away sheepishly, mumbling.

"Try to land a commercial plane ONE TIME..."

"They make it look so easy on Airwolf..."

"A chopper on NOS isn't the same as a plane, Rufus."

"TECHNICALLY it isn't NOS, Flynn-"

"Fine. A Bell helicopter with a jetpack."

Beat. "You know Airwolf??"

Jiya is content to watch the men bicker, snapping away with her camera.

"And how and why are you in a jumpsuit anyway??" Wyatt tacks on.

All the while, Lucy is silent, simply content in staring. What is it with Flynn in uniform that makes him so...

"It's proper attire, Wyatt." Flynn rolls his eyes at the soldier. He wasn't annoyed with him, it was just a habit.

Jiya snapped another picture before she put her arm around Flynn to take one of them together. "Perfect!"

"Why did you bring that? It could break, you know."

"No, it won't," she insists, holding up the camera. It's attached to some kind of harness on Jiya's body, something Flynn had seen from outdoor photographers.

He shrugs. "Your camera, your responsibility."

She bounces on her toes.

"So. Piloting 101. Shall we begin?"

They all expect to file into the plane, but instead Flynn leads them back into the hangar and sits them all at a table, flight instruction guides in front of them.

"What is this?" Wyatt asks.

"It's called learning, Wyatt," Flynn replies wryly. "No one goes up until they know how and why a plane stays up."

Rufus raises his hand. "Ah, I know this already."

"Sames," Jiya takes another picture of Flynn standing in the front of a whiteboard like a teacher.

Lucy clears her throat. "Well, I can admit, I'm a bit fuzzy on the science."

"This won't take long," Flynn assures them, grabbing a dry erase marker and starts to draw. "Alright... Bernoulli's Principle..."

Flynn starts to teach them and in Lucy's expert opinion... Flynn makes an excellent, and slightly distracting, teacher.

Halfway through the lesson, Jiya stands up.

"Yes, Jiya?" Flynn asks, thrown off by her movement.

"Don't mind me." She then goes around taking pictures of everyone. Wyatt and Rufus pose for her.

"Jiya, please..." Flynn sighs, annoyed with her. "You can do that when I'm done." He gestures to her seat. 

She grins at him in apology and goes to sit.

While the majority of the terms fly (ha!) over Lucy's head, Flynn is patient enough to pause from his lecture to explain. It's obvious that the geniuses already knows about it, as there's another click. Flynn doesn't call Jiya out this time, but spares her a side eye before returning his gaze to Lucy. She doesn't mind taking a break from getting lost in his intense gaze.

With Wyatt's background in the military, he didn't have too much trouble filling in the gaps of his knowledge. Jump out of enough planes you tend to learn a few things about them.

But Lucy studied history. She could tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the Wright brothers, Bessie Coleman, the Night Witches, etc... but with her claustrophobia, she tended to avoid planes, rather than learn about the science behind them.

This meant Flynn had to spend a little extra one-on-one time with her after he sent the others to break.

While Rufus helps Wyatt with some of the scientific aspects of flying, Jiya busies herself taking pictures around the hangar. She experiments with her shots, angles, and lighting, before taking more shots of her teammates. While the boys mug and make faces as she takes her shots,

Lucy and Flynn pay her no attention. Which was totally fine by her.

She walks around quietly, observing the two as they sit side by side. Flynn is pointing at something in the open book before them, while Lucy has her eyes on Flynn's face. The sunlight coming from the open window brings just the right light around them, casting the two in a warm glow. Jiya can't resist and snaps a photo.

 _'Ugh. Talk about pictures being worth a thousand words,"_ she thinks as she reviews the picture in the viewfinder. They're not even doing anything remotely romantic, but the underlying… _something_ just pops out of the image at her.

Lucy’s laughing causes Jiya to look up and she snaps a picture of the moment: Lucy laughing and Flynn looking at her like she hung the moon. _'Typical'_ she thinks.

"Jiya, come take some pictures of Rufus." Wyatt calls to her, pointing at her boyfriend, who was struggling with his jumpsuit. "I'd help him, but...no" Wyatt jokes.

Jiya immediately goes into photographer mode, but keeps an eye on the two seated at the table.

* * *

"Do you think you understand it now?" Flynn asks, a smile on his lips.

Lucy smiles back, "I think so."

A yelp echoes through the hangar as Rufus loses his balance getting into the other leg of the flight suit before completely falling over, much to Wyatt's glee.

Flynn lets out a put-upon sigh as he rises. "Okay, Santini, what the hell are you doing?" He smirks at seeing Rufus in a heap on the floor.

Rufus freezes from his struggling to glare up at Flynn. "Did you just relegate me as Airwolf's co-pilot?"

"Well, _somebody'_ s gotta be the ace pilot," Flynn explains with a thumb pointing to himself.

"Hm. Brooding, lone wolf with antisocial tendencies. Okay, I see it," Rufus quips before taking Flynn's proffered hand.

Flynn snorts. "Good one. Now, let's move to the lessons to the cockpit." His eyes linger to Lucy with an inquiring gaze.

"Wyatt," Flynn sighs, "as much as it pains me to admit, you have the most experience with piloting."

"Hey!" Rufus and Jiya shout.

Flynn crosses his arms "Have you ever been in a cockpit of an actual plane before last week?"

"Um..."

"I have," Wyatt says with a shrug. "Been in cargo planes, Huey's, and all sorts. That's how I knew where the landing gear was."

"But knowing isn't doing." Flynn points out. "But we'll start with you first so the others can watch and learn. Then Rufus, Jiya, and, ah, Lucy."

"I'm not offended," she assured him.

"Good," he says with relief, "because we may need to spend more one-on-one time together to catch you up."

"I don't mind." Lucy smiles, letting him know it's okay.

He nods. "Alright then, let's get started."

He claps his hands together. "Luckily for us, Denise came through and got us an old cargo plane and a light plane to play with!" he announces excitedly. "And since we're dealing mostly with"—he casts a furtive glance around them before lowering his voice—"older aircraft, we'll mostly concentrate on the primary controls and navigational displays that we'd likely encounter most."

He holds up a finger at Jiya and Rufus' excited faces. "But first. We'll have to sign waivers before we touch anything in the aircraft."

At their perplexed expressions, Flynn snorts. "What? They didn't have you sign hundreds of waivers before seeing the Lifeboat? These may cost millions of dollars less, but we sure as hell can't afford to pay for it, can we?"

He signals to someone in the small office at the far corner. They could see a man wearing a jump suit identical to Flynn's. He introduces himself as Ernie, exchanging a handshake with Flynn. They're a little surprised he gives his name as Goran. Then as introductions go around, Lucy gives her name as Lizzy, and the others follow suit.

Ernie then proceeds to explain the details in the waiver—what they're allowed to touch, where they're allowed to go, etc. Jiya is excited to get into the cockpit, so she works off her excitement by taking pictures as Ernie explains.

Then he brings out the forms they're being asked to sign. Flynn goes first, then Lucy. She, however, skims the form and asks Ernie a few questions. He scowls briefly before calling someone to come over and explain for her.

Flynn shares an amused look with the team as Jiya snaps a picture.

_ (shout out to @grug45 for the awesome manip on short notice! 👏🏽) _

"Leave it to the historian to comb through all the details," Rufus chuckles, reading through the flight magazine.

"Nothing wrong being thorough," Flynn calls over to him.

Lucy signs her waver and stands up, only to bump into Flynn who was looking at Rufus. Flynn has to catch Lucy around the waist and stand her up straight.

"I'm such a klutz," Lucy says.

Flynn leans in closely to whisper into her ear, "Not something you want to say in front the pilots."

She barely controls the shiver that ran down her spine as she feels his breath by her ear. And, shit, he wasn't even flirting. Get a grip, Lucy!

There is a squeak AND that dreaded click coming from Jiya's direction. Lucy grits her teeth.

"Steady now, Professor," Flynn advises, his hand on her lower back as she straightens up. His eyes do a quick once-over and _CAN HE STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT NOW??_

She huffs and swipes a stray lock off her forehead as she steps away from Flynn, and shoots a glare at the sniggering Rufus and Jiya.

Where's a hole to bury yourself in when you need one?

Flynn asks Ernie to escort the others to the plane that they will be working with. He stays behind to help Lucy into her jumpsuit, not wanting her to fall over like Rufus had.

"Thanks." She says with a slight blush.

"Anytime, Professor." He winks at her with a smirk.

"I should be calling you professor," she teases Flynn and then becomes slightly mortified that she did so.

Flynn blushes slightly, ducking his head away and clearing his throat. "Let's, ah, join the others."

Once they are on the plane, Flynn turns all professional, skillfully teaching first Wyatt, then Jiya and Rufus, the basics of flight. They stayed on the ground before going up, going through the motions and answering his pop quizzes.

Lucy got into the pilot's seat and she was placed that he didn't treat her any differently, even if she took longer to catch on.

"You're doing great," he said as they took a break before going up.

Lucy started to laugh, they were still sitting in the pilot's chairs.

"What?" he had to ask.

"Just remembering the first time I saw you," she said. "It was at the airfield, I, ah, turned around to follow you, almost brained myself on the wing of whatever that plane was that was sitting there."

Flynn took in her demeanor, she was laughing at herself about it. And to think, at the time, she thought he was a terrorist and murderer.

How had they come to this?

He smiles to himself, pleased with the change in their relationship. He takes a look around the hangar at his friends. His family.

Lucy looks back at him with a questioning look, he had become silent, but he had a smile on his face. "Flynn?"

A click is heard in the distance.

"I was just thinking of the first time I saw you that day," he said quietly. "I knew we'd make quite the team, you told me yourself... but after reading the journal and almost two years..."

"Things change..."

"Yeah."

"I'm..." Lucy started and paused. "I'm glad they did."

He smiles brightly at her. Another click. "Me, too. I..." He stops himself from admitting something they aren't ready for. "I think you're my best friend."

Lucy laughs, "Think? Who is this other person? Can I take them in a fight?"

He laughs. Another click. "Jiya." He teases.

"I totally can't take Jiya in a fight," Lucy laughs.

"I don't think I could take Jiya in a fight," Flynn says almost seriously, laughter dancing in his eyes.

"I heard that!" Jiya calls to them. "And darn straight!"

They both look over at her and she snaps a picture of them in the plane. They look professional. "Are you going to take her up?" She calls up at him.

"Just letting her get the feel of the controls and the tight space." He reaches out and squeezes Lucy's shoulder. "You're ok."

"You're an excellent teacher, Mr. Flynn," Lucy says with a slight upturn of her lips.

Flynn chokes, then clears his throat. "You don't have to call me that."

"Okay, Garcia."


	8. Was Lost, Now Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on two #FlynnFriday imagines:  
>  _"Despite her protests, Lucy is forced to leave Flynn behind on a mission after Rittenhouse catches up to them. When they return 2 weeks later to the same spot, they find a very sick Flynn sitting in the rain."_  
>  and  
>  _"Flynn and Lucy finally admit their feelings for each other. But before anything can happen, Rittenhouse jumps. During the mission, they are separated. Lucy, Wyatt and Jiya were forced to leave behind. Will they return in time to save him?"_

The Lifeboat winds down as Jiya goes through the shutdown sequence with trembling hands. She can still hear Lucy's screams echoing in the machine's interior overlapping in her head.

_‘We have to go back!'_

_'They've got him!'_

_'We can't just leave him to their mercies!'_

_'They'll kill him!' 'LET! ME! GO!'_

The tremors race down Jiya's limbs. She can't seem to find the energy to turn around and face Lucy, but she knows she needs to. She needs to be there for her friend; Wyatt can't seem to quiet her hiccuping sobs.

"W... w-w-we need t-t-t-o go b-back..."

Wyatt is up and out of his seat, trying his best to reassure Lucy, but her sobs don't stop. "Lucy, we're gonna go back for him! Just calm down."

Her sobs seize her entire body. Jiya glances back to look at her friends, but she quickly averts her gaze. She doesn’t want to cry.

Jiya steps around them and leaves Wyatt with the task of calming Lucy down. They need to charge the Lifeboat if they want to be able to get back and save Flynn. Scenarios flit in her mind, of what they'll come back to; if they were coming back to a trap, or if they're bringing back his body...

She fiercely tamps that thought down and clambers down the stairs. "We need to charge the Lifeboat! We have to go back!"

"Why? What happened?" Denise is there, standing by the console while Rufus checks the monitor. He stands up and helps Jiya lug the charging cable and plug the Lifeboat in.

They look up as Lucy loudly argues with Wyatt. She was never this inconsolable when the guys left Flynn that one time they brought back JFK. But this is different, largely different.

"Flynn," she manages to say. "Rittenhouse got him."

Rufus sucks in a breath of surprise before charging ahead with his task of plugging in the Lifeboat.

Denise has gone up to the ladder to help Lucy down with Wyatt's help. The woman looks to be in shock, but the agent doesn't know why. This isn't the first time one of them has been left behind or taken by Rittenhouse. Both happening at the same time is new, but still. Lucy then launches herself into the older woman's arms.

"She's been like this since before I got her in the Lifeboat." Wyatt raises his voice to be heard over Lucy's cries.

"Are you sure that they've got him?" Rufus pipes up. "Flynn is such a slippery bastard, I'm sure he's leading Rittenhouse in a merry chase..."

That's when Lucy cut in, in stuttered words, how Flynn covered their escape to the Lifeboat, yelling at them to run while he lay cover fire. The last thing they witnessed was Flynn yelling in pain and falling. That was when Wyatt hauled Lucy towards the Lifeboat, fighting him all the way.

Jiya couldn't erase the image of Flynn's face going slack before he fell to the ground. She clutched Rufus' shirt sleeve to ground her to the here and now.

"Oh." Rufus mutters, arm going around Jiya. "Lucy, I'm sure he'll be ok when we go back for him. It's Flynn."

Lucy hiccups, "You don't know Rufus..."

Everyone is confused because it sounded like she had wanted to say more, but stopped herself.

Wyatt peels Lucy off of Denise with some difficulty, but eventually gets her seated on the couch with a cup of tea.

"What the hell is with her? Last time we left Flynn she wasn't this upset. We all know Flynn's too stubborn to die, so it's not like we're going back for a corpse."

"Wyatt's got a point. Lucy's acting like she just lost her boyfriend." Rufus jokes, but the contemplative faces of his friends brought him up short. "No. No way."

Jiya shrugs, "I mean it makes the most sense."

"I'm her best friend, she would have told me!" Rufus crosses his arms, upset.

"Really, Rufus?"

Rufus is about to give a very succinct argument regarding his friendship status when there are a few loud pops followed by the lights going out, a sizzle, and the smell of burnt rubber.

The scientists all move quickly, grabbing the fire extinguisher and illuminating the area with their phones.

Five minutes later, the lights are back on, but the damage was done.

"Report," Denise commands once it settles down.

"You know what happens when you get a frayed power cord to your lamp?" Rufus asked. "That, but bigger."

"This cable was salvaged from the explosion," Connor explains. "It had some damage but it's one of a kind. We patched her up but... well."

"Wait," Wyatt points at the cable and traces it to the Lifeboat. "That's the charging cable."

"Yeah," Jiya says as she looks over at Lucy. "It's going to take a few days to fix, and in the meantime... we don't have enough power to jump."

The room goes quiet, eyes on Lucy who is staring through the floor.

"Flynn will be okay," Wyatt said quietly. "It's Flynn, right? He's a survivor..."

But Lucy only continues to stare at the floor, sheer terror swimming through tears that pool in her eyes, giving no indication she hears him.

"Don't you remember?" she speaks at last, but it is hushed and hollow. "Before Rittenhouse, our mission was to stop Flynn, but yours was to kill him." She goes pale, shaking her head as the realization comes. "Our missions had been _for_ Rittenhouse all along. That objective? Of killing Flynn? I don't think that changed." Her tears spill over.

Jiya can't take it anymore. She rushes to Lucy's other side and takes her hands. "Listen to me. We are _not_ leaving him there. You hear me?" She ducks to meet Lucy's faraway gaze. "We'll fix the damage and we'll come right when we left off."

"Jiya..."

She doesn't let Rufus finish. Lucy doesn't need to hear how they haven't metaphorically stuck the ‘landing on the exact time' part of the jump. "Trust us on this. Okay?"

There will be sleepless nights trying to diagnose and make the repairs, but she'll be damned if they don't get the Lifeboat back up.

Meanwhile, Flynn is a bit pissed.

He is currently in between torture sessions, the Rittenhouse goons Emma put in charge ae unfortunately confident.

They want to know where the bunker is. They want to turn him.

They would fail, of course. Flynn wouldn't do anything to put Lucy in harm's way.

But after a day of enduring the electro-shock and the infection probably settling into his leg where he got shot... Flynn really wanted to punch something, or someone.

He finally got his wish after an hour of working on the lock on his cuffs with the piece of metal he sourced.

Freed, he punches a guy, took his gun, and let his instincts guide him from there.

But it was February, 1952, in Oslo, Norway... the weather was cold, and with the Winter Olympics going on, the place swarming with all sorts of security. Any of which could have ties to Rittenhouse.

But he needs medical attention.

He realized he wasn't far from the Olympic ice skating rink. He could make it, he could only hope she was there... Dr. Francis...

It's a struggle to make it to the ice ring. The Rittenhouse goons were smarter than they looked, as they had correctly assumed his destination. Avoiding them was difficult, but not impossible. He wonders if the team was looking for him or if they had cut their losses.

Lucy. He closes his eyes. This couldn't have happened at a worse time. He had finally, _finally_ confessed his feelings to Lucy… and she confessed right back. Was one night all they got?

The curve of her body against his. The feel of her breast in his hands. He had worshiped her body just a few days ago. He wanted to do so again.

A sound outside of the closet he was hiding in made him snap his eyes open. He only had a few bullets left.

* * *

"What is taking so long?" Lucy asks for the 100th time.

"Ask again and I'll have Jiya taser you." Rufus huffs, annoyed.

"This isn't like plugging into a wall socket," Rufus explained after Lucy glared at him. "It's not even like one of those four-prongs on your dryer."

"Then what is it?" She huffs, crossing her arms.

Rufus looks around for something to use to make his point. "Ah, here," he grabs the power cable to the laptop. He held up the little black box. "Okay, see, this is an adapter. It regulates voltage. The Lifeboat is the laptop and this cable is the adapter. It was specifically built to spec for the Lifeboat. The Mothership doesn't even have one because we built it into the design."

Lucy sighs. "And what's wrong with the cable?"

"We're not sure. We have to run a complete diagnostic, otherwise we could fry the Lifeboat's motherboard if we try to charge her with a broken cable that doesn't regulate the voltage correctly."

Lucy wants to scream, but she's not a scientist and she trusts Rufus and Jiya. If they are moving as fast as they can...

"Are you alright?" Rufus asks her.

"We left a teammate at the hands of Rittenhouse! No, I am not fine."

Rufus frowned. "What is really going on, Lucy?"

He watches Lucy struggle for words for several seconds, an oddity in itself. Lucy is always articulate; she always knows the right things to say, whether to elaborate the ramifications of Rittenhouse's plans to change history, or when she convinces a historical figure to see her way of thinking. This is the first time she's seen her even try to form simple words.

"... w–I can't lose him, Rufus," she manages at last, with a frantic shake of her head. "I just can't." The tears start anew.

"Hey, hey." He fumbles around for the tissue box. Lucy takes it gratefully. He gives Lucy a few moments to compose herself.

"Something's changed," Rufus continues, "between you two."

She nods slowly. "We just... found each other," she admitted. "Despite our rough start"–she smiles a bit at Rufus' snort–"we finally found solace in each other, when we understood what we felt, what we mean to one another."

"... love?"

She rolls her eyes at him fondly. "I'm not sure it's as simple as that, but... for the first time in a long time, despite our circumstances, Flynn made me feel I'm home. Now that he's… it's like I'm unmoored. Again."

He impulsively takes her hand in his in some abstract hope it would anchor her. In the time Rufus knew her, Lucy always expressed her mind well. What had Flynn done to her to turn her into a pining, rambling mess?

For some reason, Jiya's face appears in his mind's eye, and for some unfathomable reason, he found the answer to his question.

He clears his throat, "Lucy… um… are you and Flynn… together?"

Lucy blushes a little, but smiles at her friend. "Yes."

"Congratulations."

Lucy chuckles and smiles big, but it falters. "Rufus, we have to get him back. I love him. I need him."

Rufus pulls her into a hug and does his best to reassure her that everything will turn out okay. He hopes he isn't lying.

Jiya looks over at them from underneath the Lifeboat. She had been trying to fix a new component into the machine for them to use a new cable. "Everything okay over there guys? Rufus, are you crying?"

"We're having a moment!" Rufus yells over at his girlfriend. Lucy breaks away with a chuckle. "Great, you ruined it."

"I'll make it up to you later, babe." She says as she finishes up with the component.

Rufus stands from the couch, "LUCY'S BANGING FLYNN!"

* * *

Flynn dispatches the last of the Rittenhouse goons, he hopes, and makes his way through the ice rink. He knew Lucy would be back for him shortly but it would be nothing if he died from infection first.

"Who's there?" a woman's voice says as he makes his way into a practice area. "Are you okay?"

Flynn looks up and is visibly relieved. Suzanne Morrow Francis stands there watching him critically.

"I need your help, doctor," he says, trying not to collapse.

"I'm a veterinarian," she replies back.

"You're also a gold medalist figure skater, took Olympic bronze in 1948. I believe you can do anything you put your mind to."

Dr. Francis eyes him warily. "Why don't you go to a staff doctor?"

"Because if I do," he decides to be honest with her, "then someone I love could die if I'm caught."

She thinks this over for a moment, then he sees it on her face. The integrity that led her to be the first female to take the Olympic Judge's Oath.

"Sit down," she says, "let me take a look at you."

An hour later, Dr. Francis has Flynn all bandaged up. She is cleaning up the bloody rags and utensils when she catches Flynn's glare.

"Oh don't be such a baby. It was only a little infected." The doctor states with a smirk.

Flynn's glare intensifies, "I hope your bedside manner is better with the animals."

She rolls her eyes, amused. "They're less fussy. I _told_ you it would hurt and that I didn't have anything for the pain. Not my fault you couldn't take it like a man."

Flynn's jaw drops. Offended. Impressed. All in all, glad to have met her. He gives her a smirk in response. "You remind me of someone I know."

"The person you love?"

Flynn smiles at the thought of Lucy. "Yes… but I was thinking more of my mother. She's a fan."

She blushes as she removes her gloves. "Well, that's very kind of her."

Flynn wants to continue conversing with the good doctor. But he knows it's only a matter of time before Rittenhouse sends more people to search for him. "I have to be going. I don't want to put you in more danger than I already have."

Dr. Francis shakes her head, "Nonsense. This was extremely unorthodox but exciting nonetheless. Although I could have done without you bleeding on the ice rink."

Flynn chuckles at that. "Still. I know you have a life to get back to. And I have friends that are probably looking for me."

"I'd say good luck, but you've already been shot."

"Thank you, Doctor." Flynn nods at her, then they part ways.

He needs to get away from her to keep her safe, and get to a place where Lucy can find him once they return. Though, in truth, they probably already had since enough time has passed.

So, he makes his way to their original landing spot and finds no sign that they have returned yet.

_They could have landed somewhere else?_

It is late, and cold, and wet. He needed to find shelter and wait.

Lucy survived, he knows she did, and she would never leave him behind. Not after... he hadn't imagined that, right? Lucy... 

He shakes his head and finds a maintenance shed. It would do for now...

* * *

Lucy is bouncing on her heels. Jiya and Rufus had charged the Lifeboat with a brand new cable and a slightly newer battery. But they aren't sure if travel would drain the battery completely or if it'd be able to function as it always had before. Only way to find out is to test it.

"Lucy, please stop. You're giving me motion sickness." Wyatt comments as he reads one of the old magazines laying around. Flynn normally does this, and Wyatt isn't going to admit to missing his frenemy.

Lucy glares at the blond, but stops bouncing. She paces instead.

"Not better..." Wyatt mutters.

Lucy suddenly stops and faces him with a syrupy sweet smile. "Wyatt? Can you go ask Rufus what's taking so long? Please?"

Wyatt eyes her suspiciously, uncomfortable. "No?"

"Come on. Pleeeeeeeease?"

It suddenly clicks in his head and he shakes her off of the arm she latched on to. "I am _not_ getting yelled at for you. It's bad enough I'm going to be yelled at by Flynn for letting you into a broken time machine."

Lucy's smile drops and she pushes Wyatt, causing him to lose his balance and flip over the couch. "You are a horrible friend."

Wyatt was too busy laughing to care about her words. "You were never like this after _we_ slept together."

"Well I don't recall Flynn's wife returning from the dead… I checked."

Wyatt is about to say something but Rufus yelping from inside the Lifeboat stops him. "You okay, buddy?"

"Yeah, sorry. That was a 'just in case' scream. Lifeboat is working at full capacity...I think."

Jiya emerges from inside and smiles down at Lucy. "Let's go get your man. Rufus is going with in case Flynn's… in case he can't walk on his own."

Lucy, Rufus, and Wyatt piles into the Lifeboat. With the repairs and updates, it felt like a mix between their first time in the Lifeboat... and the time they had to ride home without navigation and hope there was an angel (Jiya) to guide them.

But they make it back to 1952.

Lucy immediately unbuckles even as Rufus was powering down.

"Uh oh," Rufus says.

"Uh oh?" Lucy says back.

"Good news, it's Oslo, 1952, and we're a half a mile from the Olympic village."

"Bad news?" she says harshly.

"It's March."

"The Olympics have been over for weeks..."

" _WHAT_?!"

Rufus and Wyatt grimace as her shrill voice ring inside the cramped machine. Rufus makes a mental note to do something with the acoustics on his list of side projects.

Wyatt takes the finger out of his ear. "Okay, explain it to us like we're five," he suggests.

Rufus' gaze flits from Lucy's wild glare to Wyatt's steady one before turning behind him to type. In half a minute, he turns to them.

"The navigation system must've been affected by the cable blow out. But it's not bad," he adds quickly at Lucy's incensed glower. "It _did_ take us to the right year, there's that. It's just off by... a few weeks?"

"What's the guarantee that we'll come back the same time we jumped off of?" she countered.

"We got the jump logs. I just plug the coordinate."

This seems to appease Lucy. 

"Right. What's the plan here?"

"Well… We can go home, recharge, try again. _Or_ we can just try our luck now." Rufus and Wyatt watch Lucy debate with herself. It is a difficult decision and Rufus hates himself for putting it on her. "Lucy?"

Lucy's eyes are watery. "I don't want to try again, but what if something happened to him? What if… Can't we do both?"

Rufus sighs,. "Lucy I'm not gonna lie. If we don't find him now, it will take a couple days to fix the navigational system. We also risk Rittenhouse jumping. I am more determined to save Flynn than I am to protect history. So, what do you want to do?"

The tears finally fall. "I want to do both. If we find him… if he's not… Then we can save him. Right?"

"We'll do whatever it takes, Lucy." Wyatt chimes in. A memory surfaces in his mind's eye of Lucy the day she lost Amy. The pain he can see that is hauntingly similar to the pain he sees now. "We don't know what state he'd be in now. If we go out there, I want you to stay behind either me or Rufus. I don't want you seeing something you shouldn't." Wyatt remembers how broken he had become after identifying Jessica's body and he is determined to protect Lucy from that kind of pain.

Lucy swipes at her eyes. She nods. "I promise."

Wyatt nods towards Rufus, and the genius shuts down the Lifeboat. Wyatt unbuckles and goes to open the hatch. It is pouring outside.

"Once more into the long Goodnight."

They walk to the village which is empty now that the games are over. Some of the buildings were repurposed, but mostly were going to get torn down.

"Would he still be here?" Rufus asks.

"It's the only location we came to," Wyatt points out. "He's a soldier, he'd want to stay in a known location rather than someplace we may not think to look."

"Let's check out all the buildings," Lucy says and pushes forward.

Methodically, they search through the buildings, even as the rain get heavier. They risk getting pneumonia but that just makes Lucy more determined to find Flynn.

He couldn't be dead, no, she wouldn't allow it.

He was going to be alive. Alive and well enough to defeat Rittenhouse and bring his family back. Then they would... well, they hadn't really gotten to discussing their future, having just now found each other in the present.

But damn it, they are going to have a future. She isn't going to let Rittenhouse take another person she loved away from her.

"There!" Lucy saw a shed with Croatian written on the door.

_Nađi me._

_Find me._

Lucy runs towards it.

"Lucy, wait!" Wyatt shouts, following.

"He's here!" she half-hisses, beckoning them to hurry. She stops in front of the door, staring at the writing. It's smeared, but mostly intact, done in uncharacteristically unsteady strokes.

She squeezes her eyes, trying to dispel the scenarios her mind supplied her with, what state he must be–must have been in...

Wyatt follows her gaze and touches the edge of the scrawl. His fingers came away with a dull crimson smudge. Lucy's throat is constricted.

"It's several days old, otherwise the rain would've washed it away," he observed, then presses his palm on the wood before glancing at Lucy. "You ready?"

She nods vigorously. She was never more sure in her life. She puts her palms against the door and pushes.

"Flynn?"

She strides inside and looks around. She is glad that the shed is mostly warm and dry, and hopes it was enough of a shelter from the elements for an injured (and likely ill) man. Rufus is able to find the light switch, giving them a better view. It is a large, well-kept area, until the Olympics had ended, as a thin layer of dust coated every surface.

"Looks empty," Rufus notes. His tone hinted at things he doesn't want to say aloud.

Lucy shakes her head. "He's here," she insists firmly, casting her eyes about in the sallow light, and then...

"There!" Disturbances in the dust on the floor; uneven marks. One mark was too smudged, the other a distinct boot mark. This set was more pronounced than the others under various layers of dust.

A thrill sweeps through her as she follows it with hurried steps. _'Flynn. Flynn, please...'_

An arm wraps around her arm and gently pulls her back before she gets too far. She turns to glare at the perpetrator. Wyatt. "Let. Go. Now."

Wyatt just sighs, "Lucy you promised to stay behind us. I know you want to find Flynn, but please believe me when I say you don't want to be the first one to find his body if he's dead."

Lucy flinches at his words. He spoke softly, but his words cut through her life a knife. "Don't… Don't use that word… please." Her voice breaks on 'please' and Wyatt feels her pain in his chest.

"The steps lead downstairs. Let me go down first. Assess the situation. If he's alive or if he's… in a reasonable state, I'll come and get you. Let me protect you from whatever horror scene might be down there. Okay?" 

A tear falls down her cheek and Rufus puts his arm around her. "I'm holding you to that."

Wyatt sees a light switch at the top of the stairs, a single dingy light bulb illuminating the descent. Wyatt heads down the steps, the area getting colder and moist. They built the building in a hurry, and not to last, for the games and the basement area had taken on water.

He still has his gun out, in case this was some kind of trap by Rittenhouse. He almost prefers that to the options.

Lucy had been hurt enough, by her family, by Wyatt himself, and while she was strong... at some point she would break. If losing Flynn didn't do it, it would send her well on her way.

The basement is barely lit, but it was enough to see the body curled into the fetal position on the floor. There is no mistaking it was Flynn.

Flynn's clothes are dirty and soaked, and he doesn't look to be moving. He said _'shit, shit, shit'_ over and over in his brain because if he said it out loud, Lucy would come flying down the stairs.

Still cautious this could be a trap with Flynn as the bait, Wyatt cleared the room first. It didn't take more than a minute.

Wyatt then squats beside Flynn, turning him onto his back.

Flynn's skin was warm, too warm. But more importantly–he's ALIVE.

He sinks back on his heels, weak with relief. He gives himself a few seconds before moving to assess Flynn's condition. There were faded bruises and scabbed contusions on his face and arms. He patted Flynn down for other injuries, and is rewarded with a tiny groan as he gets to his torso. Sure enough, lifting Flynn's grimy shirt, more bruises around his middle. Wyatt prays nothing was broken.

Going down to the rest of Flynn's body, he notices the filthy binding on his right thigh, the patch of dried blood there. This was likely how Rittenhouse was able to get to him.

Finishing his pat down, Wyatt was glad there were no other injuries.

"Wyatt??"

He let himself chuckle. Right on cue. "I got him!" He let the relief bleed in his tone. He starts patting Flynn's cheek.

"C'mon, you big bastard. Cavalry's here," he murmurs.

Sure enough, there is clattering of rushing feet on stairs.

"Oh my god, Flynn!"

Wyatt holds his arms out to keep Lucy from landing hard on her knees on the concrete floor.

She doesn't seem to notice as she is taking in the sight of Flynn before her. She couldn't stop the sob that erupted from her throat as she cradles the deceptively peaceful face in her hands.

"F-Flynn?" she whispers to him, tenderly brushing the damp hair away from his face and running her fingers across his forehead and temple. "Open your eyes, Garcia."

For an indeterminate amount of time of touching him, calling his name, Flynn is unresponsive. Then, after many heart-stopping moments later, there is movement under his eyelids and his lips part only just.

"S-Svet-a L-Lucia _,_ " comes his breathless plea, "j-jesi l-i.. me doš-l-la ku..kući?" [ _Saint Lucia, have you come to take me home?_ ]

Lucy's breath catches in her throat. Flynn has been teaching her Croatian. She understands enough of what he said to know that he isn't coherent. "We have to get him home. Now."

Wyatt and Rufus take Lucy's tone as a threat and get to work trying to lift Flynn. Lucy is trying to keep Flynn talking, but he is muttering under his breath most of the time.

By the time they get him up the stairs, he is speaking louder. Muttering about angels and Lucy.

"Where's his option for subtitles? I don't understand Croatian." Rufus grunts.

"Learn it." Flynn looks right at him before his eyes glaze over again and he goes limp in their arms.

"The need to sass me was so great his fever broke. Amazing. But also, so on brand." Rufus laughs.

Wyatt rolls his eyes, but he is equally amused and annoyed. Flynn is now dead weight.

"We are not going to haul this tree all the way back to the Lifeboat ourselves?" Rufus asks as they get to the top of the stairs.

"We need transportation," Wyatt agrees.

"We didn't see any vehicles on the way here," Lucy points out.

"Yeah, okay." Wyatt helps sit Flynn down on a chair. "Stay here, get him warmed up. I'll go find us something."

"By yourself?" Lucy asks even as she finds a blanket to wrap around Flynn, who was still mumbling in Croatian.

"I'll be faster alone." Wyatt takes the spare gun, the one he brought for Flynn in hopes the man would be alive to accept it, and lays it on a workbench. "I'll be back in no more than an hour. With or without a vehicle."

"Be safe," she tells him. He is still her teammate and has been trying to be a better person.

Wyatt nods, then slips out.

Lucy turns her attention to Flynn. Pushing wet strands of hair from his face, she said, "Let's get you cleaned up."

Finding a bucket she fills it with rain water, then uses a rag to clean the sweat and dirt from his face. Every time their eyes met, there is a spark of recognition that disappears just as quickly as it came.

"I think he has an infection," she tells Rufus. "He's got a fever and he might be delirious."

"Get him back home and the docs will have him right in no time," Rufus assures her.

It has been about fifteen minutes when they hear someone pull up outside. Thank goodness Wyatt hadn't taken the whole hour.

"Wya–" Lucy’s voice dies when she sees two men walk in, guns drawn.

"And just when we were beginning to think you abandoned him..." one of the goons says with a grin.

* * *

 _"Garcia."_ The voice was far away. _"Open your eyes."_

It was as if he was under water. 

_"Garcia."_

Flynn knows that voice, but he couldn't place it. Why couldn't he remember who it was? 

" _Moja ljubav_. Open your eyes."

Then it hits him. Lorena.

"Lorena?" He croaks. His throat hurts and he feels cold all over.

 _"Open your eyes!"_ She seems to scream at him and he starts to become more aware of his aches and pains. He hears other voices, but couldn't make out what they are saying.

He groans again, mutters a few curses in Croatian. The voices stop, but continue after a moment… _Was that_ … _Rufus and...Lucy_ ? He hears two voices he doesn't recognize. _Who were they?_

_"OPEN YOUR EYES!"_

Flynn's eyes pop open and he shoots up in the chair with a gasp. One of the goons turn and his instincts take over, assessing the situation as quickly as he could. Flynn grabs the wrist of the goon that turned. He propels himself forward and punches him in the temple as hard as he could, knocking him out.

A shot then rings out and Flynn looks up to see Lucy holding a gun. The other goon dead on the ground. Flynn feels his body grow heavy once more. He looks at Lucy as he sinks back into the chair. "You're late, _draga_."

By the time Lucy scrambles to reach him, he is unconscious again.

"It's almost scary how he keeps doing that." Rufus comments. "I'm starting to think he's faking."

"He saved us," ss all Lucy manages to say as she struggles to rearrange Flynn more comfortably on the chair. "I'm so sorry we're late, sweetheart," she coos softly to him as she brushes his hair back, "Rufus and the others had to fix our ride."

As soon as Flynn is bank in the blanket, Lucy helps Rufus secure the goons who jumped them.

No sooner than they finish tying them up, Wyatt arrives.

"What happened?" he asks as he takes in the tied-up men in the corner.

"Apparently, Rittenhouse had been waiting for us and used Flynn as bait," Lucy explains, allowing her anger at them to finally show.

Wyatt goes pale. "Then, how did..."

"Flynn here still had some juice left in him to Flynn it up," Rufus says with no small amount of awe. "And then promptly passed out afterwards for us to conveniently haul his heavy ass."

An hour later, Wyatt and Rufus are trying to figure out the best way to haul Flynn into the Lifeboat. It was a struggle dragging him halfway across the woods and they were tired.

Lucy grabs the medical kit out of the Lifeboat as soon as they reach it and hooks Flynn up with an IV. She then places his head on her lap, fingers running through his hair. She is currently watching her friends argue.

Flynn mutters or groans every once in a while, but his eyes don't open. He is extremely pale, but Lucy still thinks he is handsome.

Flynn couldn't remember much, just a feeling of being safe, and protected.

 _"Open your eyes,"_ Lorena's voice said, softer this time. _"She's waiting for you."_

He does as she says, unsure if it is really her or...

Lucy was asleep, her head laying down on the medical bed beside him. She has one hand wrapped around his. She looks like she has been there for a while.

"Lucy," he tries to say but it comes out raspy.

Her head shoots up and he could see the relief evident in her eyes. "Flynn!"

She draws closer, placing a cool hand on his cheek. He let himself melt into the contact.

He feels a pinch of an IV line in his hand as he places it over hers, but he didn't care. "You're... here."

"Of course I'm here," she tells him like he was being ridiculous.

He wants to say more, but his dry throat won't let him. Lucy disentangles from him to grab him a drink. As she helps him, Flynn keeps his eyes on her, as if she might disappear any moment.

"I thought... I was dreaming."

She shakes her head, eyes shining. "You're not... I almost lost you."

"But you didn't...You're stuck with me." Flynn tries to smile, but it comes out as a grimace.

"Careful. You were pretty beaten up when we found you. You have bruises everywhere."

Flynn gladly takes the water that was offered. "Lucy? Can I ask you something?" He couldn't remember the events of the last few weeks clearly. Everything was fuzzy. He knows he has an infection, if the pain in his leg is anything to go by.

He looks almost shy and Lucy is confused by that. "Anything. What is it?"

Flynn couldn't remember if making love to her before they left was real or a very intense dream. If it was just his mind playing tricks, he doesn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable by asking. "Did we… kiss? Or was that a dream?" He settles with something safe. Just in case.

A smile slowly lights up her face, "We did more than kiss, Garcia."

Flynn licks his lips. "How much more?"

Lucy's smile turns into a full grin as she leans forward, saying slowly. "If you can't remember, then I suppose I should tell you... in vivid, graphic, detail."

That's when Flynn realizes he is hooked up to a heart monitor because it starts to go crazy, beeping loudly, making them both jump.

The beeping leads to Wyatt poking his head into the room. "They're both awake," he calls out.

Within seconds, the team gathers into the room where Flynn has apparently been a resident for a few days. They are glad to see him awake and coherent... not just sassing on instinct.

Lucy pulls back slightly and lets her friends have their moment with Flynn, none of them unable to deny that Flynn is part of the team, the family, now.

This is where he belongs.


	9. You Should See Me In A Crown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [#FlynnFriday imagine](https://twitter.com/thalia_msr/status/1243437252996407296): Tired of having to waste time find/stealing clothes, Flynn takes Wyatt and breaks out of the Bunker in the middle of the night. He then takes the solider to an abandoned warehouse that he had used to stash period appropriate attire.
> 
> #Flogan #Shopping

"Remind me why we're doing this?" Wyatt groused as he–grudgingly and very unwillingly, he wanted to be known to whoever cared to listen–followed Garcia Flynn in a darkened warehouse.

Flynn shushed him as they stealthily made their way to the door tucked discreetly at the end of the alley.

"Picking up some of my stuff, of course."

"Of course," Wyatt repeated dourly.

 _I need you for a recon_ , Flynn said. _It won't be safe for the others to be seen outside_ , he said. Wyatt scoffed; he was just accompanying one of the CIA's Most Wanted, after all.

His brows shot to his hairline when Flynn produced a set of keys that opened the door. "Since when did you own warehouse property?"

"Since I had to house a big time machine." Flynn beckoned him to follow.

He checked his watch as he did so. "We've been gone for 45 minutes," he told Flynn. And 'borrowed' one of the SUVs of the Homeland boys watching the bunker.

Flynn shot him a smirk. "C'mon, Wyatt! Where's your sense of adventure?" He took out a flashlight from his jacket pocket and started to look around.

"Here." Wyatt spotted the light switch and was about to flip it on when Flynn stopped him.

"Not a good idea to alert anyone about someone being here," he suggested.

Wyatt threw up his hands. "Okay. I give. What the hell do you have stashed in here that's so important, and why, of all people, did you take _me_?"

Flynn rolled his eyes. "I don't have to protect you. Not to mention you're the only person I could think of that wouldn't freak out."

Wyatt eyed him suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

Flynn led him through the mostly empty warehouse, down a hallway and to a large door on wheels.

He pushed the door open, metal scraped against metal the entire time. He then walked inside and flipped a switch. The lights flicked on, revealing a windowless room with racks of… clothing?

Clothing from all time periods.

Wyatt also noticed women's clothing. "Either you had women on your team or you've got a secret life you haven't told us about." Wyatt says, raising his brows at the amount of outfits.

"You should see me in a crown." Flynn winked at him and Wyatt was sure that was a pop culture reference.

But that didn't answer his question. "Flynn, what the hell is this place?"

"This is where Karl and I kept the outfits." He said it as if it was obvious. "God, I miss Karl. We'd come here, grab the outfits, then leave. Didn't want to stash the Mothership here until it was absolutely necessary."

"Hm." Wyatt looked around for a moment before stopping at a rack that literally had his name on it. "Why is my name on here?"

Flynn glanced over, "A couple racks have your name on it. Lucy, Rufus, and Jiya as well. I figured when Lucy finally joined me, she'd bring you lot along." He rolled his eyes.

Wyatt flicked through the clothes meant for him, picked a random jacket and put it on. Perfect fit. He frowned. 

"Do you know our measurements or something? That couldn't have been in the journal."

Flynn didn't seem to have heard him, as he was intensely sorting through the rack with Lucy's name. Huh.

"Was I asleep when you measured me?" Wyatt asked, chuckling nervously. He regretted asking the moment the words left his mouth.

Flynn was holding up a voluminous dress when he gave Wyatt a sharp look. "Research," was his laconic reply before going back to inspecting the rack of clothing for Lucy.

"O-kay." Wyatt then proceeded to check out the clothes in front of him.

"I suggest picking two or three from every decade," Flynn spoke up after a minute, as he lay three sets of dresses on a wooden crate.

"That's a bit much,"

Flynn shrugged. "In case we get photographed, it won't be easy for some conspiracy nut to pick us out from photos from different time periods.

Wyatt closed his gaping mouth. "You're not serious."

"Different costumes won't dissuade a determined theorist, but we shouldn't be lax about showing up on historical archives more than once."

Wyatt stilled, trying to recall any instance in their mission when they were photographed.

"Didn't think paranoia could be useful in our line of work," he remarked. "You weren't this cautious when you were torching history."

Flynn paused to give him a strange look, then started to put away the dresses he picked without a word.

O-kay.

"I'm going to pick Jiya's and Rufus'," Flynn announced instead.

"... why?"

"Because Jiya trusts my judgment, and she'll kill me if Rufus looks shabby."

Wyatt rolled his eyes and began sifting through the racks. He had to admit that Flynn had excellent taste. He wasn't going to say it out loud, of course, but he could admit it to himself. "We can make several trips. Or tell Denise about this place. She can haul all of this to the bunker."

Flynn hesitated before continuing his search. "I, ah… don't want Lucy to know about this place."

Wyatt held his outfits in his hands, "Afraid Lucy's gonna find out your weird fetish for dressing people?"

Flynn blushed a little, but was also annoyed with the soldier.

"I don't want her to find out, I was… eager, for her to join me."

Wyatt watched him for a moment, Flynn getting more annoyed with each passing second. "What?"

"You've got it bad for her, huh?" Flynn shot him a dirty look. "Take it from someone who knows. Don't start something you can't finish. Lucy deserves better than that."

Flynn looked over at him and could see the regret on his face. "Yes. She does. But I'm not going to pursue her. She's my friend and I care about her." He left it at that. "Are you ready to head back?"

"Sure."

The walk back to the SUV in near complete darkness while carrying arms full of history appropriate clothing was awkward, to say the least. Flynn had given Wyatt Jiya’s clothes to carry while he himself took Lucy and Rufus’s, as well as his own. Wyatt had complained at first about Flynn taking the obviously bigger batch of clothing, but he soon realized that Flynn’s arms were much much longer than his. He kept his mouth shut as the two huffed and puffed back to their vehicle. It seemed like the older the clothing, the heavier it was.

The two men finally emerged out of the dark warehouse and into the moonlight, which was almost like daylight compared to their previous surroundings. 

Wyatt leaned against the SUV, trying hard to catch his breath, hoping he wasn’t the only one of them to be struggling for air. But when he glanced over at Flynn, he saw that his taller teammate had barely broken a sweat. 

“Goddam, man, are the 7 inches you have on me all increased lung capacity? How can you not even be breathing hard?” Wyatt’s nostrils flared as he struggled to pull oxygen in through his nose, and then flared even harder when Flynn removed his shirt after tossing the clothing he’d been carrying into the back seat of the SUV. Okay, maybe he was sweating a little bit. Wyatt gulped. Every well muscled inch of Flynn’s upper body was practically shimmering.

"You liiiike?" Flynn drawled with a shit-eating grin, wiping his torso down with his shirt.

Wyatt's brain restarted. "Wh-what the fuck, man?? Ew, no! Get dressed! You'll scare the hobos." He pushed off the side of the SUV and got in the passenger seat, fuming as he waited for Flynn to finish packing the clothes at the back.

He joined Wyatt some five minutes later with (thankfully) a new shirt on. "Ready, partner?" He wiggled his eyebrows at Wyatt.

Wyatt's gaze slid sideways. "Just drive."

They rode the first 10 minutes in silence, Wyatt too annoyed with his companion. But then he couldn’t ignore the lingering question in his mind. Turning to Flynn, and nearly losing it when he saw the smirk on his face, Wyatt asked, “You never told me how you knew my exact measurements. The few things I tried on in that warehouse fit me so much better than anything I was able to obtain from stealing clothes for myself while we were chasing you.”

“Oh, I know.” Flynn’s response did not answer the question, and only served to piss Wyatt off even more.

“What does that even _mean_?!” Wyatt’s face was beginning to turn red, he was so angry. On top of Flynn disregarding his question, Wyatt had a sneaking suspicion that the taller man was making fun of him. 

“I’m not sure why you’re so angry,” Flynn responded pleasantly, which made Wyatt even angrier.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU KNOW!” Veins were beginning to pop out in Wyatt's temples. 

“Oh, I know that your clothes were ill-fitting when we were on opposite sides.” Flynn looked over at Wyatt and gave him a placid smile. “You must be looking forward to wearing some clothes that fit your form, and that are more fashionable, truthfully.” He raised an eyebrow as if to challenge Wyatt to say otherwise. 

Wyatt could not, and he realized, perhaps even more embarrassingly, that he really hadn’t stolen much clothing while trying to kill Flynn.

Most had been provided by Mason Industries... who had given him clothes that generally did not fit (he thought of the giant jacket he had worn when he and Lucy had met Ethan Cahill and shuddered). He wondered why that was. And how Flynn knew his size... so intimately.

"Don't think you're so special, Wyatt," Flynn broke the silence. "Remember that I have clothes for Lucy, Jiya and Rufus."

"But you STILL haven't told me how you know ALL of our measurements," Wyatt insisted.

Flynn flashed him a quick toothy grin before facing the road again.

"Gotta have my secrets, Logan."

"You're an ass." Wyatt sank into the seat and pouted.

"And a fine ass at that–so I've been told," Flynn was quick to point out.

He really regretted not sneaking at least his backup gun, but Flynn insisted that it wasn't needed. Or because he really planned this trip just to mess with him.

"Ah, home, sweet bunker."

Wyatt sat up as the bunker site came into view. He checked his watch. They had fifteen minutes to spare before shift change. How Flynn knew this information was another mystery.

Wyatt found it odd to see a hand truck conveniently waiting where Flynn parked their SUV.

"You've had this all planned out how long ago?" Wyatt thought to try again.

"Just about." He gestured for Wyatt to take the other side of the box and loaded it on the hand truck.

"Just about...?"

"Just about to get us into trouble if you don't hurry the hell up."

He growled at Flynn as he followed the other man to the bunker entrance.

Once inside, Wyatt immediately went to his room, without so much as a glance in Flynn's direction. He was annoyed with the Croatian and a little embarrassed about his reactions towards the man.

But before he could close the door to his room a hand shot out and kept it open. Flynn.

"What do you want?"

"Don't you wanna try the clothes on?" Flynn flashed him a smile.

"No. I do not. Goodnight." With that he used all his strength to shut the door on the taller man.

Flynn huffed out an annoyed sigh, he was really trying to be Wyatt's friend, but the soldier made it so difficult to be nice to him. He decided to wake everyone in the Bunker. It was six in the morning and he didn't want to risk Rittenhouse jumping before he could get everyone to try on the outfits.

He walked to his room and quietly opened the door, Lucy was still asleep. "Lucy?"

Lucy stirred. She ran her hands over her face and then sat up, looking confused. “Garcia?”

Flynn’s heart filled to near bursting. No matter how angry she inevitably would be at him for waking her up so early, it was worth it to hear her call him by his given name. 

“Lucy, I have clothes!”

Her eyebrows lowered, confusion written all over her face. “Um, me too?” She clearly had no idea what he was talking about. And really, there was no way she could have with him bumbling into the room like he had so early, making no sense. 

“I have historical clothing for the whole team! Do you want to try on yours?” He felt like a child on Christmas morning.

Lucy looked around the room, seemingly unable to find what she was looking for. “That sounds amazing, I don’t know how you have that? But until you come in here and tell me you have coffee, I’m not interested.”

She lay back down and buried her head under her pillow.

Well, that was only fair. Flynn quietly left the room and walked to the kitchen to make coffee. Before he even entered the room, he could already smell it brewing. Wyatt.

"One word and I'll throw the coffee in your face." Wyatt said without turning around. Flynn just chuckled and grabbed a cup. "Why the hell are you getting everyone up at 6 in the morning anyway? This can wait."

Flynn could see the coffee being poured into the glass, nearly done.

"I don't want Rittenhouse house to jump while we're trying them on. Plus I think it'll be fun for everyone. Fashion shows are entertaining."

"We grabbed like 10 outfits for everyone." Wyatt rolled his eyes and shut the coffee maker off. "It's gonna take all day."

Flynn shrugged and began preparing the coffee the way that Lucy liked it. "We need a break. You can't tell me that you didn't have a little bit of fun."

"I'll admit nothing. You're waking Jiya up. She's feral when she doesn't get her beauty sleep." Wyatt then set out mugs for everyone to take.

Once back in his room, Flynn sat on the edge of the bed and blew on the coffee. That seemed to wake Lucy. She reached out as she sat up. A yawn escaped her.

"Sorry to wake you so early." Flynn apologized.

Lucy leaned her head on his shoulder and just grunted. She tilted her head and kissed his chin, "It's fine. You brought coffee." She took a sip and almost gagged on it, "Please tell me you didn't make this sewer water?"

His brain was still short circuiting, but he answered, "Wyatt. I tried to make it taste as edible as possible."

"It's not your fault he can't brew a good cup of joe. Why did you wake me up, anyway?"

Flynn stood from the bed and offered her his hand, "I have a surprise for you."

"Is it edible coffee?" She accepted his help out of bed and gave him a tired smile.

"I'll make a new pot."

He made a side trip to Jiya and Rufus' room, their mug in his hands and called out to them from the door.

"Is that Wyatt's shitty coffee I smell?" Jiya replied, her voice a slurred growl.

He looked down at the cup. "Uh..."

"I will not be summoned by anything _but_ awesome coffee!"

Flynn sighed. Guess he'd have to bring out the big guns if he's going to wake this bunch: his secret stash of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe.

Seeing the kitchen was clear of Wyatt, Flynn dumped the mugs' content then went back to his room. He took out the beans and his coffee grinder and brought the items to the kitchen.

It turned out that he didn't need to go room-to-room to wake them up; the moment he started brewing the grounds, the scent alone lured them from hiding.

"Ohmigod, is that the coffee?" Lucy, in her shirt, sweatpants and robe, hair askew, never looked more lovely.

"Flynn? Did you steal the coffee machine at Starbucks?" Jiya called out as she came round the corner, scratching her head.

Flynn snorted. "Please. Starbucks have got _nothing_ on this."

The team waited expectantly, taking deep breaths to try to imprint this smell memory of _good_ coffee into their brains. Their minds were addled by the amazing aroma wafting through the bunker, they barely registered Flynn making multiple trips down the hallway, each time returning with an armful of clothing. 

“Flynn, is that a _corset_?!” Jiya stared at him, an ever-growing smile on her face. “Are you showing us all of yours and Lucy’s kinky nighttime apparel?”

Lucy choked on nothing and started to protest feebly. Flynn dropped his latest load of clothing and ran to the sink to get her a glass of water. 

“No, Jiya,” Flynn growled, annoyed she had embarrassed Lucy so much but also kinda turned on imagining Lucy...

“EARTH TO FLYNN!” Rufus jumped over an end table and rushed into the kitchen. “Coffee’s ready!” He poured mugs for Jiya and himself, then skedaddled to the common area and joined Jiya and Lucy on the floor, as all the furniture had been covered by clothing.

Flynn decided to save those risqué thoughts of Lucy for later. Pouring a steaming mug of joe for her and Connor, who had just joined them all to see what all the hubbub was about, he didn’t speak until he had poured himself the final cup of coffee. 

“So, back when I was fighting Rittenhouse on my own, I hoped Lucy’s journal would one day come true and we’d all be working together on the same team,” he began.

“Ah, buddy, we love you, too,” Rufus said, slurping loudly from his mug. 

Flynn fixed him with a stare, watching in satisfaction as the smile slid off Rufus’s face, before he continued.

“I figured it made sense to be prepared, and started to gather clothing not just for myself, but for you lot as well.” 

The team stared at him in disbelief. A small smile hovered over Lucy’s lips. “Garcia, this is incredible,” she said softly. “May we... try them on?”

“Of course,” Flynn said, heart pitter-pattering, offering Lucy a hand and pulling her to her feet. 

Lucy and Jiya grabbed outfits from the top of the piles Flynn had made, separating everyone's clothes. Rufus and Wyatt stayed with Flynn and Connor in the common room, wanting the ladies to go first.

"I'm a bit jealous. What if I wanted to get dressed up?" Connor pouted, looking over the fabulous outfits.

"I actually did get outfits for you. Lucy mentioned you several times in the journal. But since you normally man the fort, I didn't see any reason to grab them." Flynn explained.

"Okay..."

"Next time, I promise to grab a couple of outfits." Flynn felt a little bad, but Connor quickly changed the subject.

After a few minutes Jiya walked out with an oversized military coat on. She must have found it in one of the storage rooms. "Grandmother it's me, Anastasia." She said, dropping the coat in the most dramatic way possible.

Rufus choked on his coffee. Underneath Jiya’s coat was a lovely high-waisted Regency era dress. Jiya had even pulled her hair up to complete the look. 

“Jiya, you look fabulous,” Rufus managed to say.

“Thank you, thank you,” Jiya said as she did a pirouette in place.

Moments later, Rufus and Jiya, who hadn’t stopped making lovey eyes at one another, heard Flynn choking on his coffee. Looking up, they all watched Lucy enter wearing her own Regency dress, hers burgundy compared to Jiya’s dark green.

“Lucy,” Flynn sputtered. “You look...good.”

Rufus stared open-mouthed at Flynn, and Jiya rolled her eyes. “He’s hopeless,” she said to no-one in particular. 

Connor laughed into his hand. “Any Regency era ball would be thrilled to have you ladies,” he said. 

Lucy and Jiya smiled their thanks. 

“What’s next?” Wyatt asked.

"You boys are next." Jiya stated as she shifted through the clothes to find outfits that matched hers and Lucy's. This was a fashion show after all, and she had her camera.

Rufus accepted his outfit and a kiss from the feisty woman and Wyatt just grumbled as he followed Rufus.

"You too, Flynn." Jiya said as she held out an outfit for the tall man.

"I'm fine sitting and watching with Connor. Besides you, who else can take fabulous photographs?" Flynn tried to wave off the activity.

"Flynn it's six in the fucking morning, if you don't participate I swear I will kill you for waking me up. Now take the outfit and go." Jiya glared up at him.

He looked towards Lucy for support, but found her trying and failing to gold back her laughter. Traitor. "Fine. But when I outshine everyone, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Noted."

The girls cajoled the boys to going to their rooms to change, but Flynn opted to stay behind, citing he'd like to stick around to take the pictures.

"I can do that!" Jiya reasoned.

"I doubt you can, especially once Rufus comes out," he pointed out.

"Try me."

"Rufus?" Flynn hollered down the hall. "You ready?"

"Yeah! Yeah! What the hell you rushing for??"

"Jiya's frothing at the mouth."

She slapped him on the shoulder. Hard.

Flynn was ready when Rufus sauntered out into the hall. He snapped a pic of Jiya gaping before turning the lens on Rufus.

Wyatt was the next one to emerge, and Lucy and Jiya clapped and whistled for him in appreciation. They were most struck by how well fitting the garb Flynn had chosen was. 

“Flynn, did you measure Wyatt’s in-seam when you held him captive during Watergate? I mean, I’ve never seen his clothes fit so well!” Jiya ignored Wyatt’s glare. If he didn’t recognize the compliment wrapped inside the insult, it wasn’t her fault.

Lucy was beginning to squirm. Jiya noticed, and decided to do her friend a solid. 

“Flynn, give me the camera. Go put on your Regency attire before I steal your Ethiopian beans.” Jiya somehow managed to look innocent even while threatening the large man.

Flynn looked around at his friends. They were all looking at him in some manner of disapproval.

“I’d try the damn outfit on if you weren’t eight inches taller than I,” Connor sighed. “Though I bet my well-turned calves could give yours a run for their money.”

Lucy and Jiya burst into laughter, and Rufus took a step back in horror. 

“We’ll see about that,” Flynn growled,and grabbing his Regency duds from the couch, he stalked down the hall.

Jiya took various pictures of the team, while they waited for Flynn to return. She had even snapped a few of a grumpy Connor. She was currently in the middle of taking one of Lucy when the historian's eyes damn near popped out of their sockets.

Jiya turned to find Flynn in an amazingly tailored outfit. All dark colors with a burgundy waistcoat. She snapped a picture of the stunned Lucy before turning back to Flynn.

Flynn stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He stood at his full height. He looked magnificent. "How do I look?"

"You could give Captain Wentworth a run for his money." Jiya answered with a too bright smile. Snapping pictures. "Group pictures and then we'll change."

Jiya quickly placed a still stunned Lucy extremely close to Flynn. Then she and Rufus next to them. She had Wyatt stand between both couples.

The picture was taken and Connor handed out more outfits, expecting them all to change at the same time. And that's what they did for two hours. Change, fawn over each outfit, take pictures, repeat.

Twice Jiya and Rufus had run off to make out in the hallway. Each time, Connor had followed after them with the camera, upset that they were delaying his photoshoot. He had some racy photos of Jiya against the wall and Rufus trying to hide an obvious erection.

Flynn found the young lovers to be widely amusing, but he also secretly wished it was him and Lucy.

The way she looked in all of her outfits had done things to him and his little soldier had stood at attention more than once during the whole ordeal. She took his breath away. An angel in burgundy and lace.

They were trying on outfits from the 60's when the bunker door opened.

"What the hell is this?" Denise's voice rang throughout the bunker halls. It was enough to jar Flynn out of his fantasies of Lucy in a tavern wench outfit that he may or may not have deliberately sneaked in her pile.

"Hey, Mom! We were just trying out our new clothes," Flynn managed a glib reply.

Her glare intensified when it landed on him. "I need an explanation where you managed to get them," she demanded with a hand on her hips.

Flynn scratched his ear. "It's a rather long story." How much should he tell her? He wasn't all that willing to let her know he figured out the shift changes and escape routes, when they heard a new noise down the hall.

"Rufus, come on!" It was followed by a giggle and a breathy moan.

"Ssssssh! They'll hear us!" came Rufus' shout-whisper.

Denise's eyes must have roved a full circuit in their sockets. "You've gotta be kidding me," she muttered.

Flynn just continued to smile. He was enjoying Denise being uncomfortable and annoyed a little too much. "The kids are having fun playing dress up. Rittenhouse hasn't jumped, so I don't see the big deal."

Denise's glare could have melted someone to the bone, but Flynn was either too stubborn or too reckless to be deterred by such looks. "I believe listening to them have not-so-quiet sex will be punishment enough."

There was a loud bang of metal on metal before creaking noises were heard. Moans suddenly bounced off the walls and Flynn and Denise suddenly looked very uncomfortable. Lucy walked out into the hall as if nothing was going on.

"Wyatt has gone to Connor's room and they plan on listening to Robert Johnson. They hope it drowns out the noise." More creaking. Another moan. "I'm staying in the spare room we have. You can hear them in the common room." Lucy says staring at Flynn the entire time. She quirks a brow before turning and walking away.

 _Was she turned on by this?!?_ Flynn had noticed her dilated pupils, but listening to Jiya had the opposite effect as he regarded her as a little sister.

"I believe that was an invitation, Mr. Flynn." Denise said, a slight smirk on her face. She was slowly backing out of the bunker, watching the tall man debate with himself. She could question and scold everyone later.

Flynn watched her leave and walked back down the hall. He had a choice. He could either go to the spare room with Lucy and do whatever she wants. Or he could walk into the common room, grab earphones and Rufus's laptop.

He had a third option of going to his room, but that would just put him closer to the problem.

Where should he go?

 _No question, really_ , he thought to himself with a snicker. Shoving his hands in his pants pockets, he strode purposefully to his desired destination.


	10. Puppies!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [#FlynnFriday imagine](https://twitter.com/thalia_msr/status/1223118255927132163): During a mission, Garcia finds a box of puppies. He convinces Jiya & Lucy to bring them on the return trip. Once back they try everything in their power to keep them hidden from Denise. Rufus & Connor decides to help out as well.
> 
> #MurderVision #Garcy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is nothing but a pile of fluff - literally and figuratively. We're letting the team have this. ^_^

Keeping them together was A Bad Idea, so they keep them in their rooms, hoping they would keep quiet that way. Jiya and Lucy begin to regret their decision to give in to Flynn's deadly puppy eyes as they run after the little furballs.

Lucy finally gets her little furball to sleep and leaves the room as quietly as she can. Once outside, she notices Jiya glaring up at Flynn. The taller man looks to be pouting at something she's said.

"Flynn, do NOT name them. We can't keep them! This was a bad idea."

"But-"

"NO!"

"I can't believe you're going to leave Brutus in the cold after all this?"

"Bru–oh, shit, you didn't."

"Already ordered their name tags and all," Flynn reports.

Jiya stretches and smacks him on the back of his head. "DO NOT. All six of them are chaotic together. We had to separate them."

"We can train them!"

Lucy tries to walk past them so she wasn't roped into the conversation. She didn't want to upset Flynn with agreeing with Flynn.

"Okay, okay! We can put them up for adoption–but not Brutus," Flynn quickly adds.

Jiya rolls her eyes and throws up her hands, and spots Lucy. "Lucy! _Please_ talk some sense into your boyfriend!"

Lucy is stunned to speechlessness, unsure if it's due to her non-decision about the pups, or that Jiya called Flynn her boyfriend.

"I-I-I... hope you got collars with different colors so we can at least tell them apart...?" she suggests.

Flynn's face brightens up.

Jiya facepalms with a deep and heavy sigh. "Really, Lucy? You were _just_ complaining about how stupid we were for agreeing to this."

Flynn looks wounded and looks over at Lucy.

Lucy blushes, "But he's gotten so attached to Brutus, already."

"NO! NO NAMING THE DOGS!!"

Jiya was so loud that some of the pups were startled to wakefulness and starts yipping and scratching at the doors. She groans long and loud.

"Am I the only adult in this bunker when Denise is away?"

"Look what you did!" Connor scolds her as he emerges from his room, a squirming furball in his arms. "You just woke Flufus!" He scritches the pooch behind the ears.

Jiya Sighs. "Et tu, Connor? Et tu?"

"Well I couldn't continue just calling him Dog, now could I?" Connor states with a matter-of-fact look. He then walks out towards the common room.

Jiya opens her door to let the dog out and they watch it shoot out and follow Connor. "If we don't get rid of them. I'm telling."

Rufus emerges from his room, a pup chewing on his slipper as he walks. "Oh, hey guys. Got anything for this little monster to chew on?"

In answer, Flynn takes out a tennis ball from his pocket, waves it in front of the pup and throws it across the room.

"Don't wanna know how."

Tennis balls go bouncing around the main room, the puppies sliding on the floor as they give chase.

"We need to get carpet, or some rugs," Flynn says, the puppies sliding into a corner together.

"We're not keeping them!" Jiya shouts.

"She's a cat person," Rufus explains. 

Jiya glares over at Rufus, who quickly averts his gaze. "We can't keep them. What if we get raided by Rittenhouse? We can't exactly protect all of them and ourselves. Be reasonable."

Flynn scoffs, "I will protect the puppies with my life."

"Like how you protected your family?"

Everyone turns to look at Wyatt. He was sitting at the table, eating cold pizza. He notices everyone's eyes on him. "What?"

Flynn stood up and walked out of the common room, all the puppies following behind.

"Real smooth, asshole." Jiya says, glaring at the blonde. She then stands and follows Flynn out.

Wyatt suddenly felt guilty, but he wasn't going to admit it. "We were all thinking it."

"No, Wyatt." Connor replies.

* * *

Jiya followed the sound of playful growls back to Flynn's room. He iss on the floor under a doggy pile. He had a smile on his face.

"Puppies make everything better?" Jiya asks, inviting herself in.

"Yup," Flynn replies, "especially when you train them to poop in certain people's shoes."

"I shouldn't laugh," Jiya says as she laughed.

Flynn smiled up at her. His green eyes sparkled with mischief. "I'm fine, Jiya."

"He shouldn't have said what he did. I know you did everything you could to protect your family."

Flynn looks down at the puppy in his hands, Flufus. He shrugs. "It is what it is, Jiya. I can only hope that we can save them. But until then...I have this gang to look after."

Jiya smiles, then realizes what she had to do. She _really_ didn't want to, but it seemed like the right thing. "Flynn?"

"Hmm?"

"You can keep them."

Flynn smiles brightly up at her, his eyes then moving behind her. When she looks, Lucy was there. "Hear that, Lucy? Jiya said I can keep them."

Lucy chuckles, arms crossed, "What if Rittenhouse raids the bunker?" She asks Jiya.

She sighs, "Well, Flynn can train them to run towards the vents we plan to use as an escape."

"That could work," Lucy agrees.

"Ah, guys," Rufus pokes his head in, Flufus in his hands. "I think we need to let the puppies out for a potty break."

Flufus whined, paddling his feet.

"See, this is why I like cats," Jiya says as she moves to the side so Flynn could lead them to the exit.

"They won't run off, will they?" Lucy asks.

"Of course not." Flynn was quite sure.

Once they were outside, two of the puppies immediately ran off. Flynn and Rufus take off after them.

Rufus returns a few minutes later with an extremely rowdy pup and mud on his face.

An hour later and Flynn still hadn't returned. They had brought the other puppies back into the bunker. They were about to send out a search party when the bunker door opened.

And Denise walks in. Dragging Flynn in by his ear. He was covered in dirt, mud, leaves, and twigs. He has the puppy in his arms. "Care to explain why I found this roaming the woods?"

"Well, forests are a tree's natural habitat," Jiya explains.

Denise gives her a dour look, but before she could say anything, the rest of the puppies came flying down the hall, yapping up a storm.

They barreled into Flynn who was knocked down and buried under them.

Denise sighed.

"You didn't," she said.

"We kinda did," Rufus shrugged.

Lucy cleared her throat. "Historically speaking, mascots have always been a part of military operations as they provide companionship and morale–"

"I get it," Denise cuts her off. "We are not equipped to take care of a cadre of canines."

"Nice alteration there," Connor approves.

"You're not keeping them," Denise declares.

Jiya and Lucy look at each other for a moment before both take Denise aside to speak with her.

Flynn had gotten up off the floor at this point. He takes the dogs over to the kitchen area. Rufus and Connor watch the tall man speak to them in what they assume was Croatian. They all sit down. Tails wagging, happy looks on their faces.

The dogs wait patiently as Flynn goes about making bacon for his furry entourage. "Pictures last longer." He turns to the duo at the table and winks at them, but his appearance makes them laugh.

"You need a bath, dude."

"Thank you, Rufus. I am aware. I'll take one after I've fed them."

Rufus glances over at the ladies and notices all of them watching Flynn. He gives Jiya a questioning look, but she just winks in response.

"Fine. But I step in piss ONE TIME and they are gone." Denise says.

"Yes, mom!" Flynn grins at her unabashedly while scratching one of the pups behind his ears. Denise rolls her eyes at him before turning to leave.

Once the pups are fed, he leads his little squad to the bathroom, taking a small stack of newspapers with him.

"Well. Didn't think Flynn would take his doggy daddy duties seriously," Rufus remarks.

"I think he misses looking out for someone," Lucy supplies. Rufus and Jiya turn to her at hearing her pensive tone. Nobody wants to say what is glaringly obvious, even with Flynn out of earshot.

They are drawn out of their thoughts at hearing the cacophony echoing in the bathroom.

"Think he needs help?" Jiya asks aloud.

"Well, he _is_ at a disadvantage six to one." Rufus shrugs, his face seemed like he was itching to go.

"Well, let's go rescue our dog whisperer." 

Rufus and Jiya follow the sounds to the bathroom. The chair wasn't in front of the door so they had deem it safe to enter. When they do, they find a boxer brief-clad Flynn trying his best to keep the pups in the shower area.

Jiya whistles at him and he looks up, slightly embarrassed. "Need help?" She asks with a smile.

"Um... Keep Lucy out?" He clears his throat, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"I'm sure she'd appreciate the view." Rufus says as he leaves the door wide open.

"You are the worst." Flynn comments as a pup runs between his legs.

Between the three of them, they manage to get all of the pups clean within an hour. All three are soaked to the bone. Lucy and Connor had watched the whole thing, not wanting to get involved or wet.

"You guys enjoy the show?" Rufus asks, panting a little from the workout.

Conor smiles, "It was quite entertaining. I brought towels." He then helps dry off the pups.

Lucy is sitting in the chair across the hall and smiling at the team with the puppies. She is distracted mostly by an almost naked Flynn, but tried her best to keep her eyes on the puppies.

Deciding that she ought to be useful rather than to just ogle a teammate, she stands up and proceeds to his room to get his change of clothes and a towel. It dawns on her, minutes later, that she will be rifling through his underwear drawer.

She finds the said drawer, but doesn't open it.

_'Come on, Lucy. You're a grown woman. Not like you haven't seen a man's undergarments before..'_

She takes a deep breath, squeezes her eyes, and dips her hand in. At the feel of fabric in her hand, she grabs it and flees the room.

"Heregogetcleanedup!" She practically shoves Flynn's things into the man's hands while her head was turned away, then retreats to her spot on the common room couch. She picks up a magazine, intent on hiding behind it until the heat in her face went away–and her so-called friends stopped laughing.

A few moments later, Flynn walks into the common area, fully dressed. The pups are all asleep on the couch. Curled around each other.

"I'm glad we get to keep them." Flynn whispers to Lucy with a huge smile, watching the pups.

Lucy is happy to see Flynn so carefree. "We're gonna have to get food, beds, toys. A leash for those two runners."

Flynn nods, "Will Denise be willing to get those things? Or do I have to escape and get them myself?" He winks at her.

Lucy chuckles. He leans over the back of the couch she's sitting on and smiles down at her.

"I'd cover for you, if you did." She responds.

"You can always come along for the ride."

They continue to smile at each other, ignoring the others in the room. "Are we invisible or do they just not care?" Rufus stage-whispers to Jiya.

"Who knows. As long as they’re clothed."

Rufus shrugs, snagging a chocodile from the kitchen shelf. "Eh. The kids will keep them busy."

"Kids?" Jiya asks with a scowl.

Right on cue, there was a small yip from the fluffy pile, and one head pops up, gave a happy yip when it sees Flynn, and clambers over its dozing siblings to get to him. Which naturally has the effect of waking the rest of them up and multiplying the yipping by five.

Flynn sighs in good humor. "I guess nap time's over."

Lucy giggles as she picks up one of the more docile ones and places it in her lap. 

"Have you named them?" Lucy asks when Flynn sits down beside her.

"Of course not, Lucy." Lucy raises a brow at him and he shifts uncomfortably in his seat, "Fine. Yes."

Lucy giggles at how easy it was to make him fold, "And what have you named them?"

"Well, two are already named. Brutus and Flufus. Then I figured the girls can have simple names. Bella and Luna. The other two boys can have simple names as well. Buddy and Max."

Lucy nods her approval and Flynn's smile is a relieved one. "Brutus and Flufus were too complicated?"

"Spur of the moment names. Need something easy for the rest of them."

"Do we each get to pick one?" Jiya asks, popping up from between the two on the couch, like an overexcited child.

"Sure. They aren't just mine." Flynn answers with a smile.

Jiya and Lucy share a look before they smile.

Jiya taps her chin. "I'll have to have a think on which to pick."

"Okay," Flynn says with a shrug. "Flufus and Brutus are already taken."

"I'll take this little guy," Lucy declared, lifting the pup's face close to hers, which earned her a happily wagging tail.

Flynn tilts his head, then lifts one of its hind legs. "That's either Bella or Luna," he points out.

"Oh!" She chuckles nervously. "Luna it is, then."

Flynn nods in approval. "Luna it is." He reaches into his hoodie pocket and pulls out a handful of... collars?

He hands Lucy the red one. There was a dog tag shaped like a bone, 'Luna' inscribed in black against brushed steel.

She gives him a look. "You knew we'd keep all of them," she accuses with a smirk.

"I'd give it to them anyway, even if we don't keep them," he explains with a shrug and keeps the rest.

"Where did you even get these?"

"You really think it took me over an hour to find the dog? I found the road, got a ride to the nearest town, stole some money, and went to a pet store. Easy...Did not anticipate Denise driving by while I was walking back, though." Flynn looks at the woman in question and gives an annoyed look her way. She was turned away and couldn't have seen it.

"I know one of you is giving me a dirty look. I can feel it." Denise says with a glance back. "Mom instincts."

Lucy laughs when Flynn tries to shrink in his seat.

Connor walks up to the bundle of pups and lifts the only other girl. "I'm taking this one. She is going to be a lady."

Flynn smiles up at him, handing him a dog collar. "Her name is Bella."

"Perfect."

"Flufus is mine!" Rufus reminds them from his spot at the table.

That left two. But they didn't think Wyatt would want to take care of either of the adorable puppies. So, Flynn decides that he'd take whichever one Jiya doesn't pick.

Jiya rolls her eyes from the table, "I wanted CHOICES guys! Now I can only pick one or the other."

Connor, Lucy, and Rufus just smile in return. Knowing that Jiya was very indecisive if she had too many choices.

"Eenie meenie, miney, Max. I choose Max." She concludes as she walks over and lifts her pooch in the air.

Flynn hands her two collars. One for Max and one for Flufus.

Brutus and Buddy are his.

Two hours go by with the team getting familiar with their pups. Denise had left and returned with doggy beds, food, and a few toys for the new bunker mates. She had even booked them a vet’s appointment for the next day.

Flynn sets up a little play area for them and watches as Max, Flufus, and Bella fall asleep in it. His dogs and Luna aren't in the common area.

His first stop in his search for the pups was his room, where he finds Lucy reading in bed with the three pups dozing in his chair.

"I was looking for them." Flynn leans against the threshold.

Lucy smiles over at him, "Can they sleep in here with us? They're already sleeping."

Flynn shrugs and closes the door. Lucy moves closer to the wall and watches as Flynn hesitates. He never actually falls asleep _with_ Lucy. She always ended up crawling into bed in the middle of the night.

"I'm not gonna bite, Flynn. We've shared this bed for months." She taps his side and he finally sits down next to her.

She places her book on the nightstand and faces him as he removes his shoes. He lays facing her, but she can tell something was on his mind.

"Are you okay?"

Flynn gives a faint smile, "I'm a little scared." He confesses.

Lucy scoots closer, "About what?"

"What if we return from a mission and they're not here?"

Lucy grabs his hand and squeezed it. "You can't think like that, Flynn. Nothing good would come from dwelling on 'what ifs'. Just enjoy this. No matter how long we have them."

Flynn sighs; he knows she is right. He should enjoy the time he has with the gang of pups. He removes his hand from hers and places it around her waist, pulling her closer. "Lucy I need to tell-"

Barking from the end of the bed startle the both of them. They look down and realize the three dogs had made their way onto the bed without them noticing.

Flynn creates space between them. The dogs take the hint and lie between their owners. Lucy and Flynn fell asleep snuggled around their dogs.


	11. The First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ #FlynnFriday imagine](https://twitter.com/thalia_msr/status/1243423629959761921): It's finally happening. The first date. Both Flynn and Lucy are nervous, yet excited. Jiya, Rufus, Wyatt, and Connor are treating it like a huge event and setting up the common room for a perfect date. Jiya takes pictures to document it.
> 
> #Garcy #FirstDate

Connor walked into the common area carrying a few candles and various holders, while Jiya set about tidying the space. 

"Rufus," she called. "Get your ass over here and toss all these Chocodile wrappers! Did you really think no one would ever find them shoved under the couch?!"

"I did," Rufus replied, straight-faced. "How could I ever have anticipated that we'd be setting up the bunker common area so Garcia Flynn could go on a date?" He grunted as he removed the offending wrappers from under the couch, then sheepishly stuck his hand under a magazine rack and pulled out a few more.

Jiya just rolled her eyes. "Connor, where did you find those?" she asked, nodding at the candles. 

"Believe it or not, in my room." He chuckled at Jiya's confused look. "There's a cabinet set way up high that I haven't yet had the motivation or courage to explore," he told her. "There's more where these came from." He smiled as Jiya clasped her hands and squealed. 

"That's great! And is Wyatt finally outside gathering flowers like I asked him to do six times?" she asked. "I swear he'd better not bring back nettles."

"Eh. Flynn would just throw it to his face, and Lucy would not talk to him for a month," Rufus quipped, tossing the wrappers in the recycle bin. "Speaking of. Where  _ are  _ the lovebirds?"

"Getting ready, of course!" Jiya replied, then seemed to remember something. "Ooh! Gotta check on Lucy." She handed off the table linen to Rufus before turning to the directions of the rooms.

"Jiya! What am I going to wear??" Lucy half-wailed the moment she laid eyes on her. The cot was lined with dresses they 'acquired' during their missions as those were the only clothing passable enough to wear on a dinner date. Sure, they could try to go topside and go shopping, but Denise soundly vetoed it.

"Just... go with what you like most," Jiya hedged. "Whatever it is, I'm sure Flynn would love it."

Lucy eyed her balefully. "Ugh. That's  _ so  _ helpful."

“Wait a minute.” Jiya stared at one dress in particular Lucy had laid out on her bed. “Isn’t that the dress you wore in Chicago, at the World’s Fair?”

“Yes.” Lucy’s cheeks were turning pink. 

“Didn’t you all lose any clothes you brought back from the past when you were chasing Flynn through history? In the explosion at Mason Industries?” Jiya looked at Lucy suspiciously. 

“I - yes. Er, most of them.” Lucy’s face was now more crimson than pink.

“Most? LU-CEEEEEE?” Jiya was almost gleeful. 

“Yes most, OK?! I liked this one so much I brought it to my house after the mission!” Lucy had grabbed the long burgundy dress and was clasping it to her chest protectively. 

Jiya was not going to let this slide. “And why, may I ask, did you select this dress? Why not, say, that slinky number you wore in Vegas? Or those charming rags you wore when you were stranded in the 1700’s? Hmm?” Jiya gave Lucy her best wide-eyed look of innocence. 

“Ok FINE! I saved this dress because Flynn gave it to me!” Lucy was yelling at this point. 

“Lucy, I’m not even sure why you’re so embarrassed. You guys are going on a date tonight for crying out loud!” Slowly her eyes got even bigger, something Lucy didn’t think was possible. “OH MY G-D!” Jiya was ecstatic in her realization. “YOU HAD A CRUSH ON HIM WAY BEFORE HE STARTED WORKING WITH US!!” She was jumping up and down at this point.

Lucy blushed deeply and walked to the other side of the room. Trying not to look directly at Jiya. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Jiya gigged as she followed Lucy. "I'm sure. He  _ was  _ very handsome back then. Stubble, commanding, intense. All that pent up anger. He's probably going to explode when you two finally have sex. Literally and figuratively."

"JIYA!" Lucy was certain she was in a permanent state of embarrassment, from how red she had turned. "Are you going to help me get dressed or not?"

Jiya looked over the options. "This one."

Prior to getting the common area ready for Lucy and Flynn’s big date, Jiya had actually been in the tall Croatian’s room trying to help him ward off a panic attack. 

* * *

_ “Flynn, let me get this straight. LUCY asked YOU if you’d like to have dinner alone with her, right?” Jiya asked. _

_ “Right,” Flynn answered, inhaling through his nose and exhaling through his mouth.  _

_ “And correct me if I’m wrong, she got a big smile on her face when you said ‘yes’ and then promptly tripped over her own foot when she went to leave the room, is that right?” Jiya couldn’t believe how thick Flynn was being.  _

_ “It is.” Flynn now had his eyes closed and appeared to be murmuring under his breath.  _

_ Jiya flicked his forehead to get his attention. _

_ “Hey!” he growled, glaring at the much smaller woman.  _

_ “You don’t scare me,” Jiya informed him. “Listen. Lucy is obviously VERY into you. I caught her in the kitchen no less than 4 times over the last few weeks trying to create some sort of edible meal for you without catching the kitchen on fire. And we both know she doesn’t cook.”  _

_ “Wow, really?” he asked, a slow smile spreading across his face. “I can’t believe she’s cooking for me tonight.” _

_ “Yeah, she’s not.” In response to his quizzical look, Jiya continued, “After Wyatt and Rufus had to put out the fourth fire, we convinced her to let Connor do the cooking. But she tried SO HARD. Because she cares.” _

_ Flynn appeared to be breathing regularly now. “Thanks, Jiya,” he squeezed her hand. _

_ “Any time,” she responded, heading off to help set up the common area. _

* * *

And now, after leaving Lucy‘s room, she knew the dress Lucy had chosen would go perfectly with the outfit she had seen laid out on Flynn’s bed. 

She smiled, imagining what a hot picture the two would make while eating more-than-edible food cooked by none other than Connor Mason himself. 

“WYATT!” Rufus screamed. “You picked NETTLES!”

Sighing in exasperation, Jiya hurried back to the common room.

"Am I the ONLY normal adult in this bunker?" she said aloud as she stomped up to Wyatt, snatched his wrist that held the offending nettles and shook them in his face. "You. Are a fucking a–"

A bouquet of various flowers appeared in front of her nose, Wyatt's contrite face behind it.

"I told you, you might go too far!" Rufus chided, snatching the nettles from his other hand and chucking them in the trash.

She squinted at the boys. "For that stunt, Wyatt will wait on our couple and Rufus will do the dishes." The two squawked in indignation.

"You know I don't do dishes!"

"And you know I... I..."

She smirked at them slowly. "I know. Which is why I did."

"And who put you in charge?" Wyatt questioned.

"Denise did. Any complaints, you take it up to her."

"Can I do the dishes instead? I don't wanna see them be all mushy with each other." Wyatt rolled his eyes. He had enough of the lovey dovey stuff from Jiya and Rufus.

Jiya rolled her eyes in turn and agreed to the change. She then produced her camera , took pictures of everything.

“You and that camera are a menace to society." Connor commented, then proceeded to pose.

"Eh, you love the attention."

"That's besides the point." He posed again. "I'm photogenic and have a great smile." Another pose.

"It's like watching a sad photoshoot." Wyatt whispered to Rufus.

"I can hear you." Connor glared over at the two giggling school boys. "Also, dinner is ready. Where is the lovely couple?"

"Connor, you and Wyatt get Flynn. Rufus and I will get Lucy." Jiya commanded.

Everyone did as they were told, afraid of upsetting the young woman.

Jiya knocked on Lucy's door, then started to open it. When she realized what she was seeing she pushed Rufus back, walked inside, and slammed the door in face.

"Why aren't you dressed??"

Every piece of clothing Lucy had, and some Jiya didn't even know where they came from, was strewn about the room.

"I thought we agreed on a dress?" Jiya asked as she tip-toed through the clothing to Lucy who was in a camisole and slip.

"I panicked," Lucy confessed.

"You? When have you ever panicked?" Jiya frowned.

"Five minutes ago, clearly." Lucy sighed and sat down on the bed. "The world is at siege, my family is trying to destroy free will, and I'm getting dolled up for a date."

Jiya sat down next to her. "You know, Rufus and I have little dates. I mean, we're past the first stage of dating so it might not be as noticeable, but we do."

"You two are so happy together," Lucy commented.

"Because we let ourselves be." Jiya squeezed Lucy's hand. "We know the darkness is there. But if we don't celebrate the light, then it will go away."

Lucy took a few breaths and let the words sink in. "I'm allowed to be happy."

"Yes, you are." Jiya smiled, then she pointed at a dress hanging over the back of a chair. "And you are totally wearing that."

"Might give Flynn a heart attack," Lucy was clearly not opposed to the outfit.

"Eh, he'll live." Jiya laughed.

Over in Flynn's room, Connor and Wyatt sat on the man's bed and watched as he paced back and forth. He was wearing the outfit he wore during the Robert Johnson mission, minus the waistcoat and jacket. The first few buttons on his shirt were undone and his tie was askew. But he was DEFINITELY not panicking.

"Flynn, calm down."

"I AM CALM, MASON!"

"Your heavy breathing and pacing aren't really giving off calm vibes." Wyatt rolled his eyes.

"Shove it, Wyatt!" After a few moments he stopped pacing and apologized to both men. "I'm...nervous."

"Understandable, you and Lucy fancy each other. It's natural to be nervous." Connor stood, placing his hands on Flynn's shoulders.

Flynn somehow managed to look like an anxious puppy and a pouty child all at once. He mumbled something under his breath, and even with Connor's close proximity he couldn't hear him.

"Either share with the class or get dressed. I spent an hour picking flowers, Connor cooked, Jiya and Rufus are probably fawning over Lucy right now and-"

"What if this is a mistake? What if something happens? Every time I'm happy, the universe tries to take it from me." His voice was soft, almost afraid to voice his thoughts.

Connor and Wyatt shared a look before the older man finished buttoning Flynn's shirt and fixing his tie. "My dear boy, you cannot think like that. We are literally at war. Cherish the moments you DO have. Otherwise, you will regret it." At Flynn's nod, he patted his face, like a father would his child.

Wyatt grabbed his jacket and held it open for him. "My opinion probably doesn't mean much, given my history with Lucy. But I believe you two were meant to find each other. I don't believe in fate or destiny, but the two of you keep making choices that bring you guys closer together. That's gotta mean something. So get dressed, please? And have fun tonight."

Wyatt helped Flynn into his jacket and brushed lint off of his shoulders.

"Thanks, guys." Flynn smiled at them.

It waned when he sniffed the air. "Something's burning."

Connor did the same, and his eyes widened. "Oh, bollocks!" He made a hasty exit out of Flynn's room.

"What's going on?" Flynn asked.

"Mason's trying to rescue the main course?" Wyatt supplied. 

Everyone came running into the kitchen area where smoke was starting to billow. Considering they were underground, this was not a good thing.

Rufus grabbed the fire extinguisher and quickly put the blaze out. Jiya directed everyone to get outside vents open and fans running.

Half an hour later and the air was pretty much breathable again, but the whole place was ruined. All the food was covered in dry chemicals. The dinner area trashed with the table having been repurposed to hold a fan to direct air flow. Flynn had taken off his coat, his shirt smudged with grease from where he helped to force open some rusted vents. Lucy's outfit hadn't fared any better and she had changed into jeans and an oversized t-shirt that she might have accidentally stolen from Flynn on laundry day.

They went outside to get some fresher air.

Flynn offered Lucy a beer as he sat down next to her. "This is not how I planned for this day to go."

"Me neither," Lucy admitted with a light chuckle. "But considering the first time I met you, amongst fire and wreckage, I'm not terribly surprised."

"I like to be consistent."

They shared a laugh, Lucy deciding to snuggle back against him. "You're never boring, Garcia Flynn."

He wrapped an arm around her. "I like when you call me by my name."

"Then I shall endeavour to do so more often, Garcia."

They sat like that, together, watching the stars.

After an hour of breathing fresh air and star gazing, Jiya eventually dragged herself and Lucy back into the munker. Claiming that ladies get first dibs on the shower.

Wyatt followed them down a few minutes later. Then Rufus. Then Connor. Flynn had informed the Englishman that he was going to be a while longer. He hadn't star-gazed in a very long time and wanted to enjoy it.

He laid on the grass and took a few deep breaths, enjoying the quiet. He wouldn't call today a disaster. Just like how he wasn't having a panic attack in his room. Lucy didn't take it as a sign to call the whole thing off, so that was good. 

"It'll be better next time." He promised… himself? God. The universe. Whoever dared to listen.

"Who the hell are you talking to?"

He quickly sat up, frightened by the voice. Wyatt stood ten feet from him with a small table and two folded chairs.

Ignoring the question, Flynn asked one of his own. "What are you doing?"

"Well, we felt bad for ruining your date. So we are making sure it happens this time. Above ground. No fire."

"You guys don't have to. It's no big deal-"

"Lucy already said everything you plan on saying now. We WANT to do this for you two. Connor had made us steaks prior to whatever disaster dish he was cooking up, so that's what you'll be having. Jiya is helping Lucy clean the soot from her face and Rufus is bringing up a bucket with soap so you can clean up too."

Just as he finished, Rufus appeared from behind him and tripped. Soaking Flynn's entire torso and head with the soapy water.

"OHMYGODFLYNNIMSOSORRY!!DONTKILLME!" Rufus panicked and tried to wipe the water away from a grumpy looking Flynn.

"Well, I'm clean."

Wyatt tried to hide his snicker but soon gave up. The sight of Flynn’s always perfect hair plastered against his head was just too much, and the sound of Wyatt’s merry laughter surrounded the men. 

Rufus stared in horror at Flynn, expecting an explosive reaction, but when he simply shrugged and joined in Wyatt’s laughter, Rufus gave in as well. Flynn’s shoulders were shaking and he struggled to unbutton his shirt. Just as he managed to shrug off the soaked 1930’s cotton, Lucy and Jiya came upon the unexpected scene. 

Lucy couldn’t help but whimper when she realized Flynn was shirtless. The men chose just that moment to stop laughing, so Lucy had to swallow any further noises she might make. Flynn’s well muscled chest was glistening, and Lucy wanted nothing more than to run her fingers along the trail of wet hair that disappeared into the waist of his pants. 

Realizing that Lucy’s brain was short circuiting, Jiya was about to intervene when Flynn finally noticed Lucy’s new outfit and made a noise Jiya imagined a wounded raccoon might make. 

Lucy was wearing a long sleeved button up with a black miniskirt. Where she acquired this outfit Flynn didn't know, but his eyes were immediately drawn to her legs. He was very grateful that the water Rufus had dumped on him was cold.

"Lucy you look… You're very… your legs… I mean-" Flynn couldn't form a coherent sentence. He felt heat in his cheeks and knew he must have been blushing like crazy.

"I did not think the skirt would break him, but it did." Jiya 'softly' nudged Lucy towards the bumbling man.

"Not that I'm complaining… but what happened to your shirt?" Lucy asked. She kept her hands clasped behind her back. She was very aware of her friends watching, but she was fighting a losing battle. She very much wanted to put her hands on him.

Flynn, still incapable of speech, just pointed at Rufus. Flynn then gave her a goofy, almost lovestruck smile.

Wyatt rolled his eyes as he finished setting the table up. "I'll get the food. Rufus go get him a new shirt before he catches a cold. Something nice to match the ‘come hither’ outfit Lucy has on."

Lucy and Flynn were too wrapped up in each other's eyes to hear him, but Jiya and Rufus did.

"I'm sorry mom, do you not approve?" Jiya raised a brow at the blonde. Rufus knew this was an argument in the making and made his way into the bunker.

Wyatt rolled his eyes again, "Calm down, Jiya. It's hot out. Did you even think about what the mosquitoes would do to her legs?"

"What do you care if the bugs munch on her?"

"I will NOT have this date ruined because Lucy's legs are exposed to the elements."

Jiya scoffed, "When did you become her mother?"

"HERE YOU GO FLYNN!" Rufus screamed causing everyone to jump. Effectively ending the argument and the spell that Flynn and Lucy were under. "I got you a tie and another jacket. And oh look, it's Connor with the food."

Lucy watched in disappointment as Flynn put on and buttoned his shirt. Then his jacket. But her self control snapped and she stopped his hands from knotting his tie. "I'll do it."

It took a few moments, but when she finished she looked up and noticed he was smiling softly at her. "What?"

"You look very beautiful, Lucy." He finally said with a blush.

She blushed in return. "Can we skip dinner?"

"NO."

They jumped apart at Jiya's vehement tone. "You two are NOT gonna ditch all our hard work to skip to the main event that easily. Who will finish all the wine and cheese?"

She deftly slapped at Rufus' and Wyatt's arms as they were about to raise them.

Lucy swept up to Jiya and hugged her. "Of  _ course  _ we appreciate the work you guys put in!" She drew back and smiled at the younger woman.

"Lucy's right," Flynn echoed. He offered his arm out to Lucy. "So, shall we?"

* * *

”Well, despite that kitchen fire trying desperately to ruin dinner, I think I’d call the meal a sweeping success,” Connor said with a self satisfied grin. 

“If you measure the success of a meal by the amount of dirty dishes it creates, I think I’d have to agree,” grumbled Wyatt, elbow deep in steaming sudsy water. 

Rufus glared at him. “Oh stop complaining. You are definitely getting the better end of this bargain,” he moaned, looking around the kitchen. “Is there any bleach in here? Anywhere? I need to scrub the image of them making lovey faces at one another from my eyes.”

Jiya cleaned the last of the dishes from the table and gave him A Look. 

“Yeah, Rufus, try that. See what happens if you put bleach in your eyes,” she said sarcastically. Rufus looked appropriately chastised.

"You should see your face whenever you think nobody's looking, and you're giving Jiya the cow eyes," Wyatt supplied. "So you have no room to talk."

Rufus ducked his head and started sweeping the floor. 

Everybody jumped as heavy bass echoed throughout the common room.

"What the hell??" Rufus blurted over the din as Dawin's 'Life Of The Party' continued to play.

"Turn the bloody thing off!" Connor hollered, covering his poor cultured ears as Rufus ran over the console and typed furiously.

He almost threw the keyboard in frustration. "I can't! It's like something's taken over the speak-" His face grew slack.

"Damn it, Flynn, you mothe-"

_ ♪♫♪  _ **I'LL MAKE YOUR SPEAKERS BANGGG** _ ♪♫♪ _

_ Meanwhile, in Flynn's room... _

"Really?" Lucy, clad in only her underwear and a blanket thrown over herself, gave Flynn a look. "That's the song you went with?"

Flynn stepped away from Lucy's laptop, almost tripping over his pants that were halfway down his legs. "It's Jiya's playlist!" he reasoned, hopping to the cot. He kicked free of them and joined Lucy under the blanket.

"You think they'll catch on to what's going on?" Lucy giggled as Flynn nuzzled her ear.

"Who cares?" he said, blowing gently behind her ear, making her shiver all over. "They'll either be too busy undoing my hack or dancing. Either way..." He gave her a shark-like grin as he leaned in to attack.

_♪♫♪_ **BOOM BOOM BOOMMMM** _♪♫♪_

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to @mks57 for our ending banner image! ^_^


	12. Uncertain Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [#FlynnFriday Imagine](https://twitter.com/thalia_msr/status/1251048895192465409): When the team returns to the 1950′s Flynn suddenly finds a new rival in the fight for Lucy’s heart and trust: the great entertainer, charmer, womanizer and gangster Frank Sinatra himself.
> 
> #Garcy #FrankSinatra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Image banner and imagine courtesy of [princessamerigo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessamerigo/pseuds/princessamerigo)! (^_^)

"Dude," Rufus snapped his fingers in front of Flynn to get his attention. Normally such an action would probably get him killed, but the other man was too lost in thought to do more than offer a glare.

"What?" Flynn asked sharply.

"Well, one, could you let go?" Rufus pointed to the cables Flynn had been feeding to Rufus as he repaired something on the Lifeboat. "And two, just ask her out already."

Flynn continued to glare as if he hadn't been watching Lucy as she wandered into the kitchen area for coffee, nose stuck in a book.

"Fine, whatever," Rufus mumbled as he closed up the section he was working on. Perfect timing too, as the alarm went off. Everyone gathered around the computer. "Looks like we're going back to Vegas, 1953."

"1953... 1953." Lucy ran the number through her head. "Atomic testing started in 1951."

"Uranium was discovered north of Vegas in '53," Flynn said and everyone looked at him. "I did my research... before going back and, ah, stealing a nuke."

"Don't remind me," Christopher said. "Alright, it's probably nuclear related, so try not to be glowing when you come back."

The team moved to get into the Lifeboat.

"How extensive was your research?" Lucy asked Flynn as they walked up the ladder.

"Pretty extensive."

"We'll have to talk about it," she said before ducking into the Lifeboat. 

Flynn would like that, if they could make the time to.

"Want me to take a new battery home for the Lifeboat, boss?" he threw over his shoulder at Denise.

At her answering look–and Lucys'–he muttered, "Just a thought."

Rufus turned to him with narrowed eyes. "Y'know, you never told us how you transported the nuke through time."

Flynn shot him a grin. "I never did, didn't I?" he shot back as he buckled himself in.

Rufus just glared at him before starting up the Lifeboat. He liked Flynn, but damn was he annoying at times.

* * *

Wyatt was quiet as he unbuckled himself after arriving at the proper time, "Think Jessica might be on this mission? She's gotta be showing by now."

Flynn glanced at the others, who looked equally lost for words. He awkwardly put his hand on his shoulder, "We'll follow your lead if she is. But if she becomes a threat to any of us..."

"Yeah, I know." Wyatt nodded solemnly before jumping out of the Lifeboat. "Okay. Clothes, car, Rittenhouse."

Forty-five minutes later, the team was dressed in 1953 duds and rolling down the road towards Vegas in a stolen car. Flynn insisted on driving, claiming greater familiarity with the area after his trip there nine years in the future as well as legs significantly longer than anyone else there.

Lucy had called shotgun, outwardly claiming it was so she and Flynn could discuss what Rittenhouse could possibly want in 1953 Las Vegas but inwardly admitting that it was because he looked damn fine in historical garb and she wanted to be as close to him as possible. The look of irritation on Wyatt’s face as she slid into the front seat next to Flynn had made her yelling “Shotgun!” like a Jason Mendoza wannabe even more worth it. 

As their stolen Packard 300 cruised toward their destination, Lucy looked over at Flynn and said, “Okay, tell me everything you know about uranium and atomic bombs in or around Vegas in 1953.”

Flynn grimaced. His mission to 1962 Vegas would never make it onto the highlights reel of his time travel adventures. Or any of his missions, for that matter, before he joined Lucy and the team. He reminded himself to keep it objective for this mission.

So he gave them the cliff notes of his research about the era. Even as he tried to keep his eyes on the road, he couldn't keep from glancing at Lucy from time to time, only to find this look of awe. It warmed his heart every time he saw it.

His gaze on Lucy lingered a little longer when he was done, and he found a perplexed look as she seemed to digest his words.

"That mission wasn't to discredit JFK nor disrupt the missile crisis, is it?"

Flynn couldn't help feel the glow of pride for her, even as the unintended accusation hurt him.

"Wait," Rufus interrupted. "So you came to Vegas in '62 just to get the Mothership a nuclear battery?" he asked with mounting disbelief.

"Crudely put, but yes," Flynn acknowledged with a wince. He really didn't want to reminisce about old missions with the team.

"Any idea where Emma could be?" Wyatt asked from the backseat. "Should we be heading to the uranium mining or maybe the testing grounds?"

"Testing grounds seems more reasonable," Lucy decided. "Who knows what she could be trying to accomplish. Changing the course of nuclear research could be... devastating at the least."

They agreed, Lucy's hunches were pretty much always right. They headed towards the testing grounds, only to spot Emma and Jessica at a gas station on the end of town. Looks like they had stopped for gas.

"They spotted us," Flynn growled out, swerving the car out of the line of fire.

Shots traded back and forth as they climbed out of the car and took cover.

"Don't hit Jessica!" Wyatt shouted at him.

Sirens sounded in the distance, Emma and Jessica cut and ran. Only they got into two separate cars.

"Who do we follow?" Lucy asked as she saw the cars spin out and go separate directions.

"Both," Flynn answered.

"I've got Jess," Wyatt was already breaking into another car and hot-wiring it.

"I'll go with Wyatt," Rufus decided.

"Okay." Lucy moved to their original car. "We'll grab, Emma. Meet back up at the Sands Hotel."

Rufus gave her a thumbs up as Wyatt tore out of the parking lot after Jessica.

Flynn and Lucy were quickly on their way after Emma. She wasn't heading for the testing grounds, she drove into the heart of Vegas.

"I don't like this," Flynn grumbled as the sign of The Sands came to view. "What are the odds that Emma will go for our hotel?"

"The Sands?" Lucy asked. "Very likely. I mean, while it doesn't rise to popularity until Sinatra performed later in October–" she cut herself off at Flynn's indulgent grin. "But you already know that."

"It's alright," he replied, sparing a kind glance her way. "I like hearing you talk about historical facts and trivia."

If it came from anyone but him, she'd think they were humoring her. Hearing his earnest tone... warmed her insides. She turned her gaze to the side window, hoping he didn't see the flush on her face. It's the heat, she'd tell him. 

"Well, that makes you a crowd of one," she remarked.

"Well, it's their loss... Shit. Of course, she's that predictable."

Lucy looked up at Flynn's words and looked ahead. Emma's car stopped at The Sands' entrance, and the woman in question emerged when a bellhop opened her door.

Flynn parked just beyond the hotel premises and stepped out without a backward glance at Lucy, not wanting to lose Emma in his sights.

They slipped into the hotel and it got more difficult for Flynn to keep an eye on Emma. Thank goodness for her red hair but that could help so far.

"This way," Flynn said, remembering much of the layout from his visit in the 60's. Hopefully there hadn't been significant remodeling.

They got into the service areas and Flynn cursed. "Lost her."

"There may be someone of importance staying here," Lucy's mind was racing. "Someone I don't know about because it was confidential, or just, never mentioned."

"It's not Kennedy," Flynn pointed out. "Eisenhower?"

"Only one way to find out." She took the lead and they headed back towards the front, only to stop suddenly, Flynn almost running into her. His hands ghosted around her waist as he kept them from losing balance. But she couldn't think about that right now. "That's the concierge."

"Wait here," he told her, seeing that the concierge was standing out in the open, while they were still in the hallway. "I'll see what he knows."

Lucy watched him as he walked toward the man, checking all his angles, then struck up a friendly conversation. Flynn could charm his way through history, there was no doubt. But he could also be a big dork, the thought making her smile.

People were coming up the hall, they looked like regular staff but she was paranoid of Emma's goons. Lucy backed into a door, fiddling the handle to see if it was locked, just in case she needed to dive for cover.

The door opened on its own, Lucy losing her balance and falling backwards with a small yelp.

"Whoa there." Two arms caught her gently in a dip.

Lucy stared up into a pair of bright blue eyes with a smile to match. "Frank Sinatra!"

"The one and only." Sinatra winked. "And you must be the singer the record label sent over."

"Ahhh..." he was still holding her and she was okay with this.

"Don't be shy, beautiful." Sinatra spinned her up into standing position. "I know a class act when I see one."

"Um..." Words, Lucy, she knows them. And mission, yes, there was a mission.

"Best you get over that stage fright, cause we're on in five." Sinatra took her hand and walked her down the hallway to the lounge. "I know just the duet."

"Duet?" He expected her to sing with him?!

Flynn had finished speaking with the overly excited concierge. He was less than helpful. He turned around just in time to see a man dragging Lucy down the hall.

_ Shit _ !' He thought as he quickened his pace to follow behind. _ 'Why did I leave her alone? I should have taken her with me. Now Rittenhouse has her!' _ He mentally berated himself. It took him a moment to recognize where they were headed. The show room.

Flynn momentarily lost sight of them as he was bobbing and weaving between all the guests. So focused was he to get to Lucy that he missed the sign that sat in front of the double doors.

Had he taken the time to look he would have realized that Frank Sinatra was moments away from performing.

He retrieved his gun from his jacket's inner pocket and held it by his side as he slowly made his way across the darkened room.

"You, my love?" Sinatra said as they stood off the side of the stage.

Lucy was looking around the room, hoping not to see a particular redhead. But her eyes snapped to his. "Pardon?"

"'You, My Love,' is the song I want us to sing," he explained with a grin. "It was part of the song package they sent you with, yes?"

"Oh, um, yes," she played off. Thankfully she knew the song, she had heard him sing it to Doris Day a million times in the movie 'Young at Heart.'

"You really are a shy one," he said softly and touched her chin lightly.

Normally, Lucy would not appreciate a man taking such liberties, but this felt different. This wasn't a man telling her to smile, no. Somehow, in just a light gesture, Sinatra packed in a wish that Lucy would simply be the person she was capable of being, whether that involved smiling or not.

Lucy had felt this before, from, "Flynn."

Oh dear, for a moment she completely forgot about him, and the mission, and...

"Flynn huh?" Sinatra asked. "Sweetheart or agent?"

"Ssswagent..."

Sinatra chuckled, and the piano struck up. "Come on, beautiful, that's our cue."

When the pianist began playing, something in the back of Flynn's mind told him he knew the song, but he ignored it. He didn't have time to take in a show when Lucy was in danger.  _ 'She must be in the back.' _ His brain supplied instead. He was halfway across the room when he heard a  _ very  _ familiar voice and stopped short.

_ "My love is ever you, my love _

_ Now and forever, you my love _

_ You walked into my lonely world _

_ What peace of mind your smile unfurled" _

Flynn stood slacked jawed as the curtains opened to reveal Frank Sinatra  _ and  _ Lucy. His eyebrows disappeared into his hairline as he realized that the man that had been dragging Lucy behind was, in fact, Frank Sinatra.

"Hey, buddy! You gonna stand there all day or what?" Asked a very irritated man from behind Flynn.

Flynn moved to take an empty seat near the stage.

Lucy couldn't remember the last time she sang in front of an audience. No, that was a lie, she remembered very vividly. But it was a memory that was painful. Reminding her of the car accident. Of following in her mother's footsteps, only to learn of her place in Rittenhouse.

_ "Yes, and because of you, my love _

_ My wishful dreams came true, my love _

_ In my uncertain heart, I am only certain _

_ Of how much I love you, my love." _

That pain melted away and it was just her and Sinatra, singing softly to each other. She felt free and light. Oh, what would her life be like right now if not for that accident?

_ "In my uncertain heart, I am only certain _

_ Of how much I love you, my love." _

Far too soon, the song came to an end, the audience clapping. It was a sound sorely missed.

"I'm going to solo," Sinatra told him, "then I'll need you on the next number."

Lucy nodded, stepping back, leaning against the piano as Sinatra went into a rendition of 'One for My Baby.'

She watched him sing, her eyes glancing over to see Flynn sitting in the audience, watching her. Had he seen her sing? Her cheeks flushed red.

Flynn gave her an extremely bright smile when he noticed she was looking back at him. He had never heard her sing before and he was entirely enchanted. He broke eye contact to give the room a once over before returning his attention to Lucy.

She seemed almost carefree on the stage, singing next to an absolute legend. Flynn sent a silent prayer to whatever God was listening that Emma and her goons didn't interrupt the performance. Lucy needed to let loose and if he had to personally murder Rittengoon there was for that to happen, then so be it.

He caught Lucy's eye again and gave another wide smile with a thumbs up.

Sinatra noticed it and looked from Flynn to Lucy and watched as the beautiful woman blushed her way through a smile.  _ 'Must be her ssswagent,'  _ he thought as he turned his attention back to the audience.

Time and other sounds seemed to return to normal once more for Flynn when Sinatra and Lucy's duet ended. To see Sinatra perform in his prime was always well and good–they never get to sit and just be witnesses to prolific figures in history in their element after all. But, to hear Lucy... he was literally transported to another world.

Then he seemed to remember himself, and their objective, when Sinatra began his second set, this time, without Lucy.

He tamped down the strong urge to go up to her and tell her how he felt about her singing, but Emma and Rittenhouse are still a lingering threat. His sentiments would have to be tabled for now.

He caught Lucy's eye once more and reluctantly tapped his watch. He didn't want to pull her away from this, but they didn't know  _ where  _ Emma was and she was a very big threat. Especially with Lucy up on stage.

Lucy understood his urgency and made to walk off stage, but was halted by a hand on her wrist. She looked back to see Sinatra smiling softly at her.

"Not staying for the performance, beautiful?"

She glanced at the audience, half weren't paying attention, the other half just waiting for the next performance.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sinatra, but I have to leave. But I can tell you that this was the best experience I have ever had." Lucy smiled brightly at him.

Sinatra smirked, proud to have made her day before glancing down at Flynn, who wasn't looking, "Your ssswagent down there, he's not rough with you is he? You seem scared."

"Truth is," there was something about Sinatra that made her want to be straight with him, "I am scared. But not of him. In fact, scared but not frightened because he's with me. He'll always protect me."

"You sound like you have enemies," he said lightly, his eyes were serious.

"Showbiz is a rough business." Lucy smirked at him.

Sinatra chuckled, then the pianist called his name. So he dipped his head. "Keep your nose clean, I got a movie in the works at Warner. They looking for a Dream Team."

"Well, Flynn and I already make 'quite' the team."

"Frank," the pianist called again, a little more forcefully.

Sinatra flashed her another brilliant smile and then went back into the spotlight. Lucy took one last look across the stage, it was a memory she'd never forget. She walked off and joined up with Flynn in the back.

"Lucy..." his voice trailed off as if he hadn't realized he was speaking until it was too late.

She blushed, and cleared her throat. "We, um, we should go find Emma."

"Yes," he was quick to agree, straightening his tie. "Ah, let's see if her car is still here."

"Good idea."

It was easy to check, the stolen car still sitting in the valet lot. But that didn't mean she didn't steal another one.

"What next?" Lucy asked. "Pull the fire alarm?"

Flynn was considering it when a bellman walked up to them. Flynn's hand was on his concealed gun.

"Leia Organa and Chuy Bacca?" the bellman asked.

It took Lucy a second, but the Star Wars reference clicked. "Ah, yes."

"There is a phone call for you, from a Lando Calrissian. You can take it at the concierge desk."

"Thank you," she said and they headed back that way. "Must be Rufus trying to get a hold of us."

Flynn mumbled something about height, Wookies, and tearing someone's arm off.

They got to the desk and the concierge showed them where they could privately take the call. They huddled together, foreheads touching, so they could both hear. 

"Rufus?"

"Lucy! Thank God! You guys okay?"

"We lost Emma, but are otherwise fine. I met Frank Sinatra!" She couldn't keep it a secret from her friend. Flynn rolled his eyes in amusement.

"Really? That's awesome! What's he–OW!"

"You alright?" Flynn quickly asked.

"Yes. Wyatt hit me." Rufus answered, sounding like a pouting child. "I'M GETTING TO THE POINT, WYATT!"

Flynn and Lucy listened as the two men argued back and forth. Flynn chuckled at some of the insults traded and Lucy smiled at him.

"It's a trap. Emma wanted us to split us, so she could kill us." Wyatt angrily said.

The smiles dropped from Flynn and Lucy's faces. Flynn suddenly felt exposed in the slightly open area. He shifted his body behind Lucy's, hoping to conceal her with his larger frame.

"We cornered Jessica, she told us everything...then she shot me."

"SHE WHAT!?" Lucy was shocked. Jessica had never tried to hurt Wyatt physically before.

"It's just a graze, I'm fine. But you two need to watch your backs. Emma won't miss. Flynn?"

"Lucy's safe. We'll have another look around, but if we don't find Emma, then we'll leave."

Wyatt let out a breath, "We followed Jess to an abandoned gas station. Agents were waiting, but I took care of them. They shot out our tires. It's gonna take us a while to get to you. Don't die."

Flynn rolled his eyes, as Lucy and the boys said their goodbyes. When Lucy turned around, she looked terrified.

"We'll be fine, right?"

Flynn looked down at her and smiled softly at her, "When have I not protected you? You've nothing to worry about when you're with me."

"Except, I worry about you when we partner up."

Flynn was momentarily speechless. Her only fear was HIM getting hurt? He didn't know how to process that so he took a step back from her and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Uh...You're a phenomenal singer." Lucy blushed at the compliment.

"Everything alright, here?"

They turned to find Frank Sinatra standing a few feet away.

"Um, actually, yes," Lucy said, stepping up to the man. "There is a woman in this hotel who is trying to hurt me."

Sinatra looked at her, then at Flynn, catching the man's caged stance and hand drifting towards his concealed weapon. "So your swwagent is also your bodyguard?"

"It's... complicated."

"I do enjoy complicated," Sinatra grinned at her. "Alright, beautiful, what do you need?"

"We need to find her first." Lucy was thinking a mile a minute. "And when we do, she'll be armed, possibly have backup. We'll need people to help capture her."

"People who are also... armed?" His eyes drifted back to Flynn again.

"She's  **very** dangerous," Lucy reiterated.

"Good thing I know a few guys."

"I thought you might."

Sinatra smiled at Lucy before offering her his arm. "As long as you're by my side, no one will come close enough to harm you. I promise you that."

Lucy glanced at Flynn before entangling her arm with Sinatra's. She knew involving the famous singer was a bad idea. A terrible one, in fact, but she felt safe with him and that was enough to convince her that this wasn't the worst idea she's had.

Flynn felt a surge of… something, when the blue-eyed crooner pulled Lucy closer to himself. He followed behind at a normal pace, glancing around the open room.

His attention snapped back to Lucy when he heard her giggling. Sinatra was whispering something in her ear. Flynn huffed. Sinatra looked back at him and winked.

Sinatra was a notorious ladies man. That's what he told himself when he felt the urge to punch the man. No other reason.

And when Flynn saw Sinatra's hand drift oh-too-casually to Lucy's waist as they carried on their murmured conversation, that urge ratcheted from punching to murder.

And Lucy looked to be... smiling back. Enjoying herself.

It was like a punch to the face Flynn didn't expect or deflect.

Her other hand touched the entertainer's shoulder. She was trying to keep her balance, what with those impractical heels she was wearing.

... right?

It had to be.

****

Sinatra had led them to his room and left them in the living area as he went to make a quick phone call.

"You seem to be...enjoying yourself. " Flynn mumbled to her.

Lucy turned to look at him, "It's Frank Sinatra, Flynn. I haven't felt this nervous since we met Houdini!"

Flynn, unfortunately, remembered their encounter with the magician and rolled his eyes. "Do you plan on ditching me for Sinatra, like you did with Houdini?"

Lucy raised a brow at his tone, "We were on different sides then, Flynn… Are you okay? You seem… frustrated."

"Nothing. Just the usual frustration with Emma and not knowing what their game is, now." It wasn't an outright lie, he supposed.

Lucy stared with narrowed eyes. "She never got under your skin this bad before."

Pacing. It's the pacing that might have clued her in. He barely managed to not throw himself on the couch when he sat.

She regarded him for a few moments before settling beside him, hands folded in her lap. "What's going on? You know you can tell me."

What could he tell her? That seeing her with another man, touching him, made his blood boil? Seeing another man making her happy made him upset that that man wasn't him? To make matters worse, it's Frank Fucking Sinatra.

He sounded like a petty, possessive bastard in his head. 

He studied her face, her earnest expression. Lucy deserves his honesty, if not his entire devotion and, and...

"Garcia!"

Flynn snapped back to reality at the sound of his name. He hadn't realized he had zoned out until he noticed Lucy's hand on his arm. A quick glance revealed them still to be alone. He could hear Sinatra talking in the other room.

Flynn placed his hand over hers and tried his best at a smile that he was sure fell flat. "It's nothing, Lucy."

She moved her hand to intertwine their fingers and gave him a soft look, "It's just us, Garcia. What's wrong? Normally when we met an iconic person you wait until they're out of the room to gush about them. You've yet to say a word about Frank Sinatra."

"I… don't want you to think less of me." Flynn was hesitant to admit it, but Lucy's opinion of him mattered. What would she think of him being a possessive jerk?

She gave a breathy chuckle, "Do you suddenly not like Sinatra? Because I vividly remember you and Connor fangirling, as Jiya or Rufus would say, over him just a week ago. Quite passionately so."

Taking a deep breath, he just decided to go for the truth. Which was, "I don't like the liberties he's taking with his hands on you."

"Are you being protective, or jealous?" Lucy asked with a curious tilt to her head.

"Protective." It was a half lie. He was always protective of Lucy, not just of her physical well-being, but of her heart as well. But she was an adult and could make her own choices.

Lucy looked at him like she knew he was lying, if only partially.

Of course he was jealous. One could be jealous without becoming possessive.

He wanted to tell her everything. About all the things he felt when he saw her up there singing. About every little moment preceding it where he fell further and further in love with her.

But he wouldn't burden her with those thoughts.

"Alright," Sinatra said as he reentered the room. "I got us some guys, be here in five."

"Armed?" Flynn asked.

"You doubt me?" He gave a fake hurt expression.

"Thank you, Frank," Lucy smiled at the man.

Great, on a first-name basis.

Flynn shrugged it off. He had a mission: protect Lucy. She was more important, her life, and her happiness. Whatever shape that took.

Flynn stood, effectively obscuring Lucy from Sinatra's view. He gave the musician a hard look. "We also have a couple guys on the way..." He glanced at Lucy, "I'll go wait outside for them."

"Flynn, Emma might be out there waiting for an opportunity to hurt you."

His hand was on the door handle and his shoulders slumped a little as he sighed. He turned his head, noticed she was now standing, and gave her a soft smile. "Better me than you, Professor. Don't worry about me."

He shut the door behind him.

"But I always do." Lucy said to the closed door.

She stared at it a second longer before turning to find Sinatra‘s piercing blue eyes upon her. She opened her mouth as if to make an excuse for what he clearly had just heard, but then lowered her head with an exhale. Slowly, she raised her eyes to his. 

“The more I see you two with one another, the more certain I am that your relationship with him is far more complicated than you’re letting on, beautiful,” he said with a confident smile. “But you don’t deserve to go through so much worry every time your ssswagent walks away.” He reached out to brush a curl from her forehead. “You know, we paired up rather well out there before,” he stated. “Have you thought about staying here with me and becoming my regular partner?” he asked her. The tone of his voice left no doubt in Lucy‘s mind that ‘partner’ as used by Ol’ Blue Eyes had more than one meaning. And just in case she wasn’t quite sure what he was hinting at, he then lowered his hand to cradle her cheek, his thumb glancing across her cheekbone.

Lucy sucked in her breath. This was unexpected. But it didn’t feel wrong. At all.

Frank slowly leaned into her, searching her face for any hesitation as he went. When he was sure this was what she wanted, he softly brushed his lips against hers. He pulled back a little and she followed. He moved his other hand to her waist and pulled her as close to him as he could as he brought her mouth to his again.

The kiss started slow, but as soon as Lucy moaned, Frank vigorously attacked her lips. Teeth and tongues colliding as they lost themselves in the moment.

Lucy felt a wall behind her. She hadn't realized they had been moving. She had a fleeting thought that she should probably stop this. That Rittenhouse was still a threat and that the boys and Flynn could very well be outside.

But all of that flew out of her mind when Frank lifted one of her legs around his waist. Her mind was suddenly filled with very DIFFERENT thoughts.

So distracted they were that they didn't hear the knocking at the door. Or the door opening. Not until,

"Lucy?"

Lucy gasped away from Frank at the sound of Wyatt's voice. Frank didn't move away, just moved his head enough for Lucy to see the suddenly too small room.

Wyatt looked mildly amused at finding her in such a state with such an iconic person. Rufus was caught between amusement and shock. But Flynn… he looked down right heartbroken. He couldn't meet her gaze.

There was some other men in the room as well and Lucy assumed they were Frank's people.

"I thought you guys would be awhile." She said as she tried to straighten herself up.

"A car drove by. We got lucky. Just like you seemed to be." Wyatt answered, way too happy. One would think he wasn't just shot by his wife.

Flynn walked out of the room.

He needed air.

He let his legs take him away from the damnable room. A voice was calling his name; he couldn't care less.

Another voice echoed in his head: _ stay on task, stay on task... _

_ Fuck the mission and fuck everything! _

He wanted to tell himself he wasn't being petty. He wasn't being childish! He just... really needed air. And to keep his hands from snapping someone's neck.

He thought that Lucy would be above this. This was a reminder that she was a woman with certain needs, after all, and deserved to have her dalliance through history with whoever the hell she wished. If she wanted to be one among the trail of broken hearts left in old Blue Eyes' wake, well. Flynn was sure Lucy took the plunge with eyes open.

And Flynn, devoted idiot that he was, will make sure he will be there as her friend.

With this resigned thought, he felt he could breathe again. He looked around and found himself near the far end of the hall several doors from Sinatra's suite. But the hall wasn't empty.

"Flynn."

He turned a way as he wiped a hand down his face, rallying for control again. He faced Lucy. "’We ready to go?"

She shook her head as if in dismissal, then placed a hand on his arm. "Flynn, whatever you saw..."

"It's okay," he roughly choked out. "It's none of my business what you do, so long as it doesn't disrupt the mission."

"It looked like it did when you ran out like that."

He was no longer paying attention to the rest of her words when he caught movement at the very end of the hall, three doors down. A door opened, but didn't open fully, and instead of a body emerging, a hand jutted out.

Holding a gun. With a modern-looking silencer.

He was already moving to pull Lucy out of the line of fire, his mind racing as time seemed to slow down: the hall was too open, they can't evade bullets; the one viable exit was too far away, they won't make it.

He was an idiot, doomed and bound to this woman. She would be the death of him, but he would march to his fate with a smile on his face and a rakish salute to the Grim Reaper.

He flashed Lucy's confused face a bittersweet smile as he pulled her to him, turning around and wrapping himself around her as he flung them to the floor–

"FLYNN?!"

–but not before the sensation of lead burned through him.

He felt the sensation of bullets two more times before he rolled with Lucy. Luckily they had been at the end of the hall and he was able to get them around the corner quick enough to keep Lucy safe. She had clung to him the entire time.

Once around the corner he stood with Lucy still in his arms. He didn't mind. She was light enough. He placed her on her feet and took his gun from his inner pocket.

A quick peak around the corner showed two Rittengoons, so he quickly sent shots their way. One went down, while the other returned fire.

Further down the hall Wyatt and one of Frank's guy's ran out just as more goons emerged from two more rooms.

It looked almost like a video game scene to Flynn and he shook his head.  _ 'No more Call Of Duty with Rufus,' _ he thought to himself as he reached for Lucy's hand. He knew Wyatt would handle the situation. Lucy was his priority at the moment. He needed to get her someplace safe. Before he could so much as convey this to Lucy, she tugged on his hand and forced him to follow after her.

"Emma just went around the corner!" She explained as she tugged him after her.

Flynn's body was telling him, no, he can't, but he was already moving to follow. Once more, old boy, once more Obedient little soldier boy.

He laid a hand on her shoulder, crouched to meet her eyes. "Listen to me. You need to keep out of sight until the coast is clear."

Lucy was shaking her head. "You're not going after her by yourself! Emma will kill you when she gets the chance!"

"That's exactly why you need to hide!" Flynn retorted fiercely. "I can't let her find you. You're too important to the team." 

Her eyes blazed. "But you're important to me!"

"Not important enough, apparently." Flynn argued back. His mind's eye replaying the heated embrace between her and Sinatra.

"Are you serious?" Lucy hissed, "Who could be more important?"

He shrugged, "Sinatra seemed pretty important to you."

"You're jealous of Frank? Seriously?"

"Of course I'm jealous of him!!"

"Why? What could you possibly have to be jealous of?"

"BECAUSE HE WAS KISSING YOU!!" Flynn practically screamed at her, "Because his hands were touching you. Because you were enjoying it… Because you weren't stopping him… Because it wasn't me."

Lucy stared. Shocked at his words. He was staring at her with such intensity in his gaze that she was afraid to look away. He was so close that she could clearly read the frustration and heartbreak in his eyes.

She then spotted the moment that that shame and guilt flooded his eyes for speaking to her the way he did.

He closed his eyes in regret and sighed, "Lucy I–"

"Do you want to kiss me?"

His eyes shot open at the question. He was tired of lying. To himself. To her. "Yes."

"Then kiss me."

He wanted to so badly, but, "You know I can't."

She leaned her head on his chest, letting a breath out. "I know."

A moment passed before Flynn realizes that he no longer hears gunshots. He wrapped his right arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry I yelled. I'm sorry I'm… me."

"Don't ever apologize for that. I like you just as you are." Her arms went around his middle.

He rested his chin on the top of her head and basked in the feeling of her in his arms for the moment.

"Am I interrupting something? I can always come back when it's less… sexually charged." A familiar voice said.

Flynn opened his eyes to see a gun aimed at Lucy.

Emma.

Flynn looks at Emma with absolutely no expression. “Actually, yeah. If you wouldn’t mind giving us another five...” he breaks off to look at Lucy. “Ten? Okay, ten minutes, we’d really appreciate it.”

The bad news was that his sass totally caught Lucy off guard and her gaping mouth indicated she won’t be playing along. 

The good news, however, was that he catches Emma completely by surprise, and as she was taking a step back in shock, Flynn pushed Lucy behind him with one arm and with the other, he hit Emma’s gun arm so hard she dropped her weapon. 

Lucy dropped to the floor to retrieve it, desperately wanting to finally get the better of Emma, and if she could do that in front of Flynn, all the better. She’d like to not feel like a fraud when he told her how impressive a future version of herself was in her journal.

As soon as the gun was in her hand and she had it aimed at Emma, a smug look came upon her face. It unnerved and confused Lucy.

"Lucy..." Flynn warned.

She turned to look at him and noticed a Rittengoon behind him with a gun pressed against his head.

"Drop it, Princess."

Lucy looked up at Flynn. The memory of her fear from earlier has evaporated, even now that Flynn has a gun pointed to his head. Because Lucy knew that with Flynn here, they were getting out of this. And she thinks she knew exactly how. Glancing meaningfully at the weapon concealed on his hip, Flynn showed her he knows what her plan was with the smallest raise of his eyebrows. Lucy makes a show of dropping Emma’s weapon, then as Flynn kicked it as far away as he could, Lucy grabbed the gun tucked into his waist and shot the Rittengoon directly in the kneecap. 

The goon screamed as he went down, clutching at his shin. With a grunt, Flynn swiped up the goon's dropped gun and swung it at Emma.

But she was gone. He caught a glimpse of red heels as she fled to the stairs.

"Let's go after her!" Lucy urged.

Flynn paused, then shot the groaning goon, making her shrink back.

"Why-"

"It's risky to leave Rittenhouse alive in the past," Flynn explained. "They might have failsafes in place in case they get left behind."

She looked terrified, but nodded anyway.

"And Emma. Someone needs to go after her..."

Flynn shook his head wearily. "I can't."

"Flynn?" She scowled, searching his face as she laid a hand on his left arm. She felt sticky dampness under her palm, then caught sight of the blood trickling down the back of his hand. She looked back up to him in alarm.

"Flynn, you're hurt!"

"Just a scratch. We'll deal with it later," he assured through gritted teeth.

Her eyes flashed in defiance, even as fear lurked behind them. "NO, we're dealing with it now." She began tugging at his jacket sleeve.

He didn't stop the grunt of pain this time, but stopped her hand from pulling to gingerly ease the jacket from his shoulders. Lucy was immediately behind him to help.

"Just a scratch?" she blurted incredulously. "Just a scratch??"

Oh, his mind supplied dumbly. He forgot about that. He was wondering why the graze hurt so damn much.

"You folks alright?" Lucy looked past Flynn to see one of Frank's men, gun at his side.

"I'm fine, but Flynn's hurt." Lucy quickly answered before Flynn had a chance to open his mouth.

The man walked over and looked the wound over. "Hmm. Eddie's a doctor, he'll have you fixed up in no time."

At Lucy's pointed look, Flynn reluctantly agreed to have the doctor look at him. "The shooters?" He asked as they made their way to Sinatra's room.

"Taken care of. Your friends are also fine. Are you sure you're not hurt Miss? Mr. Sinatra is very worried."

Flynn rolled his eyes and muttered what suspiciously sounds like, "I bet." He glanced at Lucy and based on the slightly annoyed look on her face he realized she heard him.

"I'm sure." She answers.

After stepping over several bodies and making their way inside the room, Frank immediately rushed over to Lucy and took her by the shoulders. Looking her over for injuries. When he saw none, he breathed a sigh of relief before crushing her to his chest in a tight hug. "Thank God you're safe!"

Lucy hugged him back. It was nice. She felt him kiss her head and was then reminded of all the eyes of them. She looked over at Wyatt and Rufus who looked extremely amused. Frank's men didn't care, and Flynn wasn't in her line of sight but she felt his eyes on her.

She took a step out of his arms. "Flynn protected me. Kept me safe." She smiled at him.

All Flynn could muster was a quick tug of his lips in acknowledgment. He still didn't know what to think seeing Lucy in Sinatra's arms again. All he knew right now was he was feeling light-headed and tired. Probably due to the blood loss.

"Whoa!" Flynn suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder to steady him, making him hiss. "Sorry there, big guy." It was one of Frank's men who met them at the hallway. "This guy needs patching up, boss."

"Someone call Eddie. Tell him to bring his stuff," Frank ordered. He turned to face Flynn fully, his arm still around Lucy. "'Appreciate what you did for our girl here. Damn fine work you did." He held out his hand.

He glanced at the offered hand, then back up to Frank's and Lucy's faces. "It's my job," he said quietly, shaking the hand.

An odd look passed Lucy's face as she regarded him. Try as he might, Flynn was having a hard time concentrating when the room was starting to... tilt...

Lucy was suddenly at his side, hands gripping his arm. She looked concerned and for good reason. Flynn felt sick.

"Sit." She ordered.

Flynn immediately followed instructions and dropped. Trusting her enough to know that there was probably a chair behind him. He was proven right when he felt the softness of the couch. Lucy sat with him. Holding him.

Frank sat across from the couch and watched them as they waited for Eddie. Flynn's head was resting on Lucy's shoulder. She was running her hands through his hair and muttering softly to him.

Frank was very confused and curious about their relationship. They weren't together, but they clearly loved each other. They were affectionate, yet she allowed him to kiss her. and she enjoyed it… Very curious indeed...

"Boss? Eddie's here. Me and Nate took care of the bodies and the hotel manager."

Frank stood and shook the man's hand. "I think it's a safe bet that the danger has passed. Head on home and let Eddie in."

The man nodded and left with the two other men he had arrived with. Eddie walked in.

Frank pointed at Flynn, "You best take good care of him, Eddie."

“That’s my job, boss.” Eddie looked half offended that Frank would think otherwise of him, and half curious as to why he would favor this tall tree of a man who was looking pretty banged up. Although if the attention of the beautiful woman sitting next to him was any indication of how well the man would be taken care of in his recovery, Eddie had no doubts he’d be good as new in no time at all. He wondered why Frank was favoring these two with special attention, but then he saw how his boss was looking at the woman. Oh boy.

Eddie looked around. “Hey, Frank, do you mind if I use your bed to examine him?” He looked apologetic. “I don’t want to miss anything, and the chance of that is high if I examine him sitting up.” 

“Sure, sure, go ahead.” Frank gestured to the door to the bedroom. 

Lucy started to slip Flynn’s arm behind her neck, clearly intending to carry him to his intended exam table if necessary, and obviously not planning to be separated from him. 

Eddie and Frank both protested. 

“Ma’am, I’ll want to examine him alone, if that’s okay with you,” Eddie said kindly but firmly. 

Lucy looked at Flynn, only willing to let him go alone if it was okay with him. He nodded weakly, clearly in a lot of pain. 

Eddie and Frank hoisted Flynn up between them and walked slowly with him into the bedroom. Moments later, Frank returned. By that time, the sitting area had emptied. Even Wyatt and Rufus hadn’t wanted to stick around to get in the way of whatever was happening between Lucy and Frank Sinatra.

Frank walked over to sit beside her on the couch. He reached for her hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles to try and calm her down since she seemed agitated.

When she didn't pull away or protest, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tucked her into his side. A hand slowly caressing her arm. "You're ssswagent is gonna be just fine, beautiful. Eddie's the best."

She nodded before leaning her head against his chest. A hand reached up to play with a button on his shirt. She felt oddly comfortable with Frank. She felt him lean his head against hers just as Flynn had done earlier when they were holding each other.

Frank dropped a kiss on her head and took a deep breath. Her hair smelled like strawberries. He desperately wanted to kiss her again. Possibly even take her to bed. But that was out of the question now that he had given his room up to Eddie and her ssswagent.

"He's in love with you, ‘ya know." Frank said softly. He felt her tense up. "It doesn't take a genius to see that… Or that you're clearly in love with him, too. I guess what's really perplexing is why you two seem to be dancing around it."

He was very observant, Lucy thought. "It's complicated." She said. She didn't know why she felt that she could trust Frank, but she did.

"He's married? I noticed the ring."

"He was… She died."

"Ah. Trying to respect the grieving process?"

"Something like that."

Frank was silent for a few moments. He felt sorry for the injured man and slightly annoyed that he was clearly causing the beautiful woman in his arms heartache.

"Any chance I would be able to steal you away from him? You are the most fascinating woman I have ever encountered."

Lucy stares into the blue eyes that had stolen many a woman’s heart over the years, eyes she’d love to gaze into while allowing their owner to touch her. She missed the touch of a man, would love to feel Frank’s lips on hers again. 

She leaned towards him, her heart pounding, but something he just said finally snapped her out of the trance he’d put her under. 

He’s married. 

Or at least she thinks he is, she really couldn’t really keep track of when he was married and when he was not.

Despite how much she’d love to forget about that and just succumb to his charms, despite how lonely she has been for love and affection from a man who was clearly besotted with her, she knew she was not the type of person who would take that attention from a married man. And she was also not the type of person who would do something that would clearly hurt the 

torn heart of the man just behind that closed door who holds her heart. For as beguiling as Frank’s blue eyes were, Lucy knows it’s a pair of green eyes she’s been staring into more and more these days whose depths she’d love to lose herself in. 

And with that, Lucy brushed a soft kiss to Frank’s cheek, and just as she had whispered to Ian Fleming in 1944, she answered Frank’s question with, “Definitely not.”

She smiled at Frank, with not a small amount of regret. 

“You have no idea how flattered I am,” she told him. “But you’re right. I’m in love with my ssswagent. Hopelessly so. And I’m willing to deprive myself of things I... desperately need... so I don’t hurt him. I can’t do that to him.”

Frank hangs his head in acceptance, knowing defeat when he sees it. “Well that ssswagent of yours sure is a lucky guy,” he said.

Lucy smiled, a blush creeping across her face. It was the first time she had said those words out loud. She felt lighter, somehow, as if keeping it inside was a burden on her soul.

Frank removed his arm from around her shoulders, but kept hold of her hand. "But," he began, "if it doesn't work out..." He smirked at her, eyes shining.

She playfully rolled her eyes, "I'll know where to find you."

The bedroom door opened and Eddie walked out. Lucy immediately jumped up and rushed into the room.

"I won't hold my breath, beautiful." Frank muttered to himself.

Lucy slowed down as she approached the bed on which Flynn lies. She was struck by how much smaller he appears now that he’s injured. Not wanting to move the bed too much, which could hurt him, she knelt on the floor next to him. She placed one hand on his forehead and with the other, she took his hand in her much smaller one. He managed a small smile in return, and a small squeeze of her hand. 

Lucy looked up as Eddie walked back into the room. 

“How is he, doc?” She couldn’t keep the panic from her voice. She can’t lose this man.

"Your husband's going to be just fine, Ma'am. I was able to remove the bullet and it didn't seem to have hit anything vital. A mere flesh wound." Eddie smiled at her, speaking softly.

Lucy didn't correct him when he called Flynn her husband. A regular occurrence whenever they were partnered up on missions. She looked forward to it, actually. "Thank you, Eddie."

The doctor smiled at her. "It's my job. I've given him a light sedative. Just enough to ease the pain."

Lucy turned attention back to Flynn as Eddie made his way out. "Hey."

"Hey, Lucy."

She had stood up when Eddie came in, and she now sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling more comfortable doing so now that she knows his pain has been addressed. She positioned herself so she could easily take hold of his hands again. And touch his face. And keep an eye on his bandages. She fretted over him for a minute or so, finding it hard to stop touching him. When she was finally convinced herself he’ll live, she settled herself in to just... be... with him. It was a luxury she’s rarely afforded in their chaotic life of time travel. 

”Hey, Lucy,” he repeated, and she looked at him in alarm until she realized that the sedative was kicking in and he was on his way under. 

She smiled at him, pushing his hair back from his face, before telling him, “I’m here. It’s okay to sleep. I’ll watch over you.” 

He huffed a quiet laugh as he replied in a slurred voice, “I know you will. You really kicked that Rittengoon’s ass today.”

Lucy felt herself blushing and glanced down shyly, happier than she could say that he’s started to view her as somewhat impressive. But when she glanced back up at him to deflect his compliment, as was her habit, she saw he'd fallen asleep. Sighing, she trailed her fingers lightly down his face. 

And then she realized that she can still sleep with the man she loves in Frank Sinatra‘s bed. 

She walked to the other side of the bed and carefully climbed in, pulling the sheets over both of them. Picking up his uninjured arm, she nestled herself into his side and pulled his arm around her. Minutes later, she was sleeping as well.

Every day since that horrible night, Flynn would wake up and his first thoughts were of Lorena. Of missing her, his drive for vengeance renewed every morning.

But then the days kept passing, and slowly his first thoughts drifted away from missing her, to accepting that she was gone, even when he saved her and Iris. The vengeance never left him.

Then one day he realized that when he awoke, his first thoughts were of Lucy. Of wanting to make sure she was okay. That whatever events happened the day before didn't irreparable scar her.

Sometimes the thought he had was simply... Lucy.

So when he woke up after the painkiller wore off, he was not surprised his first thought was again, of Lucy, and if she was okay, and if she wanted to have a dalliance with Sinatra then, wait...

"Lucy..." he said so softly, wondering if he was having a hallucination. But no, her body was warm, tucked against him. She moved at his movement, wrinkling her face in her sleep.

He wanted to kiss her, to wake her up and ask what her first thought was every morning. Would she say some random historical event... or Garcia Flynn?

But he didn't want to put Lucy through the heartache again of being with a man whose wife could return at any moment.

And Lucy knew this... yet she crawled into bed with him when she could be with Sinatra. At least with him, Lucy knew exactly what she was getting into. There was a sense of safety there.

Lucy took a deep breath and opened her eyes with a flutter. She looked right into his own, those first thoughts running through her.

"What are you thinking?" he chanced.

She smiled at him, something he dared call loving, and then she began to softly sing.

_ "Best is yet to come and babe won't that be fine _

_ You think you've seen the sun _

_ But you ain't seen it shine _

_ A wait til the warm up's under way _

_ Wait til our lips have met _

_ And wait til you see that sunshine day _

_ You ain't seen nothing yet _

_ The best is yet to come _

_ And babe won't it be fine _

_ Best is yet to come, _

_ Come the day you're mine... " _

Flynn's breath punched out of him, just his heart felt like soaring. But is this giddiness from the blood loss? Was he hearing things? He had to be sure.

He squinted through the haze of his addled brain, searching Lucy's eyes. "But Lucy, Frank...?"

He felt and heard her groan a frustrated huff against his face."For a self-proclaimed genius, you can be such an idiot!" She took his face in her hand. "Must I spell it out to you?"

He scrunched up his face to something he thought would be pitiful. "... yes?" he answered feebly. She needed to throw him a lifeline here. His consciousness was waning; he was just so tttired!

"I'm choosing you, you big, stupid, wonderful, brave man!"

He felt something warm press against his sluggish lips. That felt nice, he thought groggily. He'd sort this dream out when he wakes up.

Getting back to the present was a bit of a blur for the team. Flynn was medicated and groggy, Lucy was sorting through feelings, and Rufus and Wyatt were riding the high of having hung out with Frank Sinatra while waiting for Lucy and Flynn to emerge from Frank’s room.

As they settled in for bed that night, Flynn noticed a soft smile tugging at Lucy’s lips. 

“Reminiscing over your time with Frank?” he asked gently. He remembered the blissful feeling he felt waking up in Vegas to find Lucy pressed into his side. She hasn’t spoken much about the time she spent with the singer after Flynn had been treated by Frank’s doctor, but her joining him in bed later that evening made him feel like she still cared. He felt a smile of his own spreading across his face as he found himself hoping to be visited again by the dream of her singing to him, and then almost as if she was reading his thoughts, she closed the distance between them, wrapped her arms around his waist, looked up at him, and started singing:

_ “Wait till you're locked in my embrace _

_ Wait til I draw you near _

_ And wait til you see that sunshine place _

_ Ain't nothing like it here. _

_ The best is yet to come...” _

Flynn’s brain short circuited. Was that not a dream? Was he dreaming now? Flynn moved his left shoulder and felt a sharp pain. He hissed a little, hoping he didn't pop any of the stitches, but Lucy was still wrapped around him. So not a dream.

"I'm awake." Lucy raises an amused brow at him, "I didn't hallucinate you singing to me? Back in Sinatra's room?"

"Definitely not." A blush made its way down Lucy's face. "I uh..." She shifted on her feet and released her hold on him. She grabbed his hands and placed one over her heart. "I'm in love with you Garcia. Only you."

He was speechless for a moment as his brain and heart started working again. He knew, of course. But hearing her SAY it was a completely different feeling. He tugged his hand away, "Lucy I don't..." He was struggling for words, but at the sight of tears forming in her eyes he quickly took her face in his hands,

"No, I do...You KNOW I do. I am very much yours. But, Lorena… the possibility that we or Rittenhouse might do something in the past that could possibly bring her back… and Iris. I don't want you to go through that kind of pain again because of me."

Her tears fell, but she understood. She knew there was a chance that he wouldn't say it back and she was okay with that. He was holding onto hope and she wouldn't have him let go of that for anything in the world. "I know. I just needed to tell you."

He pulled her close and leaned his forehead against hers. "I can't hurt you Lucy." He decided to do something he hadn't done in a long time, he sang to her,

_ "And I would do anything for love _

_ I'd run right into hell and back _

_ I would do anything for love _

_ I'd never lie to you and that's a fact _

_ But I'll never forget the way you feel right now _

_ Oh no, no way _

_ And I would do anything for love _

_ Oh I would do anything for love _

_ I would do anything for love, but I won't do that _

_ No, I won't do that." _

Lucy wrapped herself around him, more tears fell. His tears joined her. He loved her. But he couldn't say it.

After a moment, Lucy started to shudder... no wait, she was giggling, burying her head against his chest to muffle it.

"Um, Lucy?" He had just bared a part of his soul and she was laughing?

"I'm sorry, I just remembered what that song is about..." she covered her mouth to stifle her laughs.

"Uh..." Flynn mentally blinked. "What is it about?"

"The one thing he won't do?" Lucy grinned. "The dishes."

"Seriously?" Flynn laughed involuntarily.

"So I've been told." Lucy grinned. "I know you were trying to be romantic, but it's okay, I kinda prefer you this way."

"What way is that?" he said as he pulled her closer.

_ "And I've been wondering all this time,"  _ Lucy began to sing again, this time a faster beat,  _ "if you're on someone else's mind, cause I'vvvve been secretly wanting youuuuu... just you." _

"Just me, huh?

"Just us." 


	13. In The Open

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [#FlynnFriday imagine](https://twitter.com/thalia_msr/status/1256115603380801537): Flynn takes Lucy for a picnic in the grassy fields by their new safehouse. He packs food and a couple of books for their outing. Lucy insist that he bring the guitar that they had found stashed away in the barn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout-out to TheaLocksly on Tumblr for letting us use her lovely fanart! ^_^

Flynn couldn't help it; it was habit. No matter where he was, he would know all his blind spots, all the possible lines of attack.

But there was one blind spot that he always missed.

"How about here," Lucy asked, drawing his attention back to her. She was standing in the center of the grove, the sun shining through the leaves. It was as bright as her smile.

"This is a good spot," he agreed, unable to not smile as she twirled lightly in her sundress.

Yes, Rittenhouse was still out there, and they would rush back if they got called, but they couldn't live their lives inside, on edge. Not if they wanted to keep their sanity intact.

Lucy grabbed the blanket and laid it out on a clear, soft spot. She sat down and looked up at him, smiling. "This was a great idea."

"Yes it was." He smiled back. It was a great idea to have a picnic, but he wasn't completely sold on the guitar Lucy asked him to bring.

In fact he had voted against bringing it along, stating that it was just another thing to carry should Rittenhouse jump. But she insisted and he did what he always did when it came to Lucy. He caved.

"We are going to sit and relax. No talks about Rittenhouse or Time travel, got it?" He asked her as he settled on the blanket.

She rolled her eyes, he had told her this before they left the safe-house. "Of course, Garcia." Flynn just smiled back.

They had been spending more time together lately. They touched more. It wasn't uncommon to find them holding hands or cuddling on the couch. They were practically inseparable during missions.

But they hadn't crossed that line.

Flynn struggled to define their relationship, but Lucy seemed content to leave it as is. Were they working up to an actual relationship or were they going to remain friends? He wished he knew, but he also didn't want to address it, for fear that Lucy would pull back and cut off the seemingly intimate contact. And he was a selfish fool.

"Garcia, did you pack the grapes?"

He was brought out of his head and focused back on the moment.

"Uh, yeah." He hefted the basket in his hand. He couldn't believe that Lucy found an honest-to-goodness wicker basket in the storage closet when they looked for cleaning supplies. It completed the look they were going for, which was an old-fashioned picnic in the countryside.

One could argue that Garcia Flynn was sentimental, but he would have to shoot them.

He placed the basket right beside the blanket and took out the seedless grapes.

Lucy blinked at him as if his gesture surprised her. She blinked again. Then she took one, slowly putting it in her mouth, never taking her eyes off him as she did so.

Flynn found himself swallowing. He was in trouble.

He cleared his throat and quickly looked away. "I, uh, also brought a couple of books, in case you get bored of speaking to me."

Lucy rolled her eyes as she popped another grape into her mouth. "Garcia, how many times do I have to tell you? Out of everyone here you're the easiest person to talk to."

Flynn blushed at her words. He tried to distract himself by making their snacks. It was also a great way to avoid her gaze and gather his thoughts.

But Lucy had other plans. She took the Tupperware out of his hands, urging him to lay on the blanket. He complied. She monovered him until his head was on her lap. She then plopped the guitar on his chest.

"Play something. Anything. I'll feed you grapes."

It was now Flynn's turn to roll his eyes as Lucy blushed at their position. "Read to me instead. Please. I'll play."

Lucy hummed in satisfaction as Flynn began to strum a series of chords, getting his fingers used to the feel of the guitar strings. She held a book in her own hands and although she had opened it, it sat there ignored because at the moment, Lucy preferred to enjoy the feel of the light breeze moving through her hair and her fingers running through Flynn’s hair. 

Flynn swallowed hard to stop a moan from escaping his lips. He wasn’t sure when his relationship with Lucy had evolved into his head in her lap and her fingers threaded through his hair being the new normal, but he certainly was not complaining about it. 

“Were you a picnic person before... all this?” Flynn’s voice startled Lucy out of her reverie. 

“I - well, I suppose I always liked the idea of picnics. I just never had anyone to picnic with,” she replied with a rueful chuckle. The intimacy of the moment was not lost on her, and instead of running from it, she forced herself to keep her fingers in his hair, even as he looked up at her and made upside down eye contact. Butterflies sprang up in her stomach to mimic those flitting about the meadow.

"Maybe..." He trailed off as his fingers moved on their own. Muscle memory was at play as he built up the courage to ask her, "Maybe we can do this again? It's nice out here. Peaceful." Lucy's fingers stopped. _'Shit,'_ he thought.

"Will it always just be the two of us?" She bit her lip.

"We can invite the others if that would make you more comfortable."

"No!" She quickly shut THAT thought down. Her fingers continued their caressing. "I'd like to keep it just us. I love… this. It IS peaceful. I appreciate what you're trying to do for me."

He smiled up at her, relieved he hadn’t spoiled the moment. They sat that way for a while: his head in her lap, her fingers in his hair, the poor book long forgotten, him strumming on the guitar. And then she sat up in recognition and began to sing along with the music.

_“All my bags are packed,_   
_I'm ready to go._   
_I'm standin' here outside your door._   
_I hate to wake you up to say goodbye.”_

She smiled down at him. She loved John Denver. 

_“But the dawn is breakin'_   
_It's early morn._   
_The taxi's waitin'_   
_He's blowin' his horn._   
_Already I'm so lonesome_   
_I could die...”_

And as Lucy sang, she realized just how lonesome she would be without this amazing man by She giggled delightfully when she heard his voice join hers in the refrain.

_“So kiss me and smile for me_   
_Tell me that you'll wait for me_   
_Hold me like you'll never let me go_   
_'Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane_   
_Don't know when I'll be back again_   
_Oh babe, I hate to go”_

Lucy didn't realize she had stopped singing by the end of the as she lost herself in his tender gaze. 

Enrapt by the song, Flynn went on solo.

_“There's so many times I've let you down_   
_So many times I've played around_   
_I tell you now, they don't mean a thing_

_Every place I go, I'll think of you_   
_Every song I sing, I'll sing for you_   
_When I come back, I'll bring your wedding ring”_

He blinked into the present when he realized what he just sang. The chords faded under his fingertips as he gazed up Lucy's face.

Lucy's hand drifted from his hair to cup his cheek. She leaned forward, her face inches from his. She licked her lips, her eyes on his. Flynn sucked in a breath at the action. She leaned closer.

Flynn wanted this. Desperately. He could finally have her. Right here. Right now. On this blanket. He lifted his head so that he could taste her lips.

But she pulled back. Quite abruptly. Flynn dropped his head back on her lap with a heavy sigh. He turned his head towards the grass and closed his eyes. Trying his best not to cry.

"I'm sorry..." She said in a small voice.

He sat up and put the guitar next to the basket. His back to her. "D-don't be sorry. It's fine." He cleared his throat a couple of times before trying his best to smile as brightly as he could before facing her again. "Let's eat!"

"Garcia–"

"Lucy, it's fine. We're fine. Let's just eat."

Lucy agreed with a sigh. She watched as he once again began taking the Tupperware out of the basket. She didn't stop him this time.

She didn't know why she pulled back. She wanted to, but something told her now wasn't the time. She'll have to wait.

* * *

It was his fault.

He wanted to drown those words that were echoing through his skull. He came on too strong, he just knew it. Did he read the situation wrong? She was clearly reciprocating his advances. What did he do wrong?

He gave his sandwich a tentative bite, not really tasting it. He was hoping that this little break for lunch would help him try to find a way to salvage this situation. Oh, God, why did he have to act on his impulses like this? It never did him any good to go in half-cocked, this he knew. 

"Garcia?"

He was abruptly pulled from his looping thoughts by her soft voice in the quiet of the meadow. "Hmm?"

"You were so far away. Is everything alright?"

He didn't want to look at her, for fear of what he'd find, for fear of what she'd find. "It's fine. Just... taking in being outdoors after a long time."

Her silence only spoke of how much she believed that. "I was calling you several times. You, uh, must really be enjoying the outdoors that much."

Garcia felt something crumble within him. He wanted to get up and run to his room, wallow in his rejection within the confines of his new room. Yet he couldn't bring himself to leave Lucy's side. He also felt like taking the fruit knife from the basket and carve his heart out, for all the trouble it had given him. It was simpler when they stood at opposing sides; he could keep this Lucy from a literal and metaphorical distance, while at the same time pining for the Lucy in the journal to come to her senses and fight this crusade with him. His right hand flexed.

"Flynn?"

Great. He was Flynn again. She hadn't called him that in weeks. He felt his heart break more at the thought that she was obviously trying to distance herself.

"FLYNN!!"

He was startled out of his musings by her yelling. Her frightened eyes confused him. "What?"

She looked from his eyes to his shirt and he followed her gaze. "Oh." He said. He hadn't noticed that he had actually grabbed the fruit knife in his right hand and was pressing it to his chest. He barely felt it, so he mustn't be pressing as hard as it looked.

"What are you doing?"

Lucy asked as she reached out to take the knife from him. She then tossed it back in the basket.

He figured the truth was best in this situation. "I was gonna cut out my heart."

Lucy just blinked at him. Not understanding. She couldn't tell if he was joking or not. "Well, maybe don't do that? I need you alive, Garcia. And your heart intact."

He was Garcia again? He was very confused, but he wasn't going to ruin it. "Sorry. I was just really distracted. I didn't even notice that I took the knife."

She watched him for a moment, "I'll keep the knife."

Garcia didn't answer, his gaze fixed on his hands. What the hell did he just try to do?? He couldn't believe he lost all awareness and didn't notice he picked up the knife?

It was a mistake to act on his feelings like he did. Had they been on a mission, that would have spelled disaster for them.

He decided that Lucy will never know the depths of his love for her–if it meant keeping her alive, and happy.

"Sure. Whatever you say, Lucy," he replied belatedly, then made to stand.

"Garcia...?"

"I need to stretch my legs," he informed her. "I won't be long."

"D... Do you need company?"

She looked anxious... Guilty? He'll unpack that later, in his solitude.

"It's fine," he assured her. "I won't be too far. It's as good a time as any to check the perimeter."

She looked unconvinced, but didn't comment. Even in his ears, it sounded lame.

"Eat your lunch before the ants beat you to it. I'll be back in ten."

He turned and tamped down the impulse to look back to make sure she'd be okay. Even as he struggled to keep to his leisurely steps, when all he wanted to do was run.

After checking the perimeter and ensuring that nothing suspicious was going on near the outer fences or by the little creek, he returned to find Lucy gone. He panicked a moment. But then remembered that he had LITERALLY just checked their surroundings so no one could have taken her.

She must have left because of him. He had made it awkward between them. She obviously couldn't stand to be around him. She had left the basket and the blanket, so he laid down on it.

Tears gathered in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. This was his fault and he shouldn't be crying over something that was probably never going to happen to begin with. But here he was. Acting like a teenager that was rejected by his crush.

He decided he was going to sulk until he was ready to return home. So he closed his eyes and let his tears fall.

"Garcia?"

Flynn snapped his eyes open and turned to see Lucy standing above him. Plastic utensils in her hand. He leaned up on his elbows, "I didn't think you'd come back."

Lucy sat next to him, one arm on the other side of his hip. She leaned closer and put her other hand on his chest.

"I left a note. In the basket so it didn’t fly away." She then reached over him, to retrieve it.

_'Garcia, switching the silverware for plastic. Back in a flash. Lucy.'_

"Oh." He suddenly felt embarrassed for crying. He felt her hand on his face, gently wiping away the evidence.

He sat up, dislodging Lucy's arm and covered his face with his hands. 

"You didn't need to do that. I'm-It's fine."

"Clearly you're not," she pointed out softly then laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'm worried for you, Garcia."

He patted her hand. "You don't have to worry, Lucy," he assured her, even as he felt a little like crumbling.

"I can't help it; I worry about everyone, especially when any one of you put your lives at risk." Her voice cracked slightly.

"And you're really worrying me right now." Garcia heard shifting behind him, until Lucy was sitting beside him, facing him.

She laid a hand on his arm. "And I'm not blind. You're obviously unhappy that I couldn't... I'm so sorry." Her eyes welled up as she squeezed his arm.

He couldn't bear to see her in pain, especially if he was the reason. He pulled her into a hug and leaned back until he was, once again, laying on the blanket. Her head on his chest and their arms around each other. "Yes, I'm upset." He felt her flinch, "But not with you. With me."

She looked up at him, confused, "Why?"

"I...What are we doing Lucy? What is this? Are we just friends or… or could this be something more?"

She sat up so that she could look at his face, "Garcia–"

"You know how I feel about you, right? I haven't been trying to hide it."

After months of dancing around their undefined relationship, Garcia was almost entirely sure that Lucy almost felt the same way about him as he did for her. He wasn't that blind.

And the more he spent time with her, the more certain he was that he would not return to Lorena should they ever save her and Iris. He'd changed too much, spent enough time without his family, it would be unfair to Lorena that she could not have him entirely–not like before.

Lucy merely looked on helplessly. "Garcia..."

He lowered his head and nodded. 

She still wasn't ready, if the uncertainty in her gaze was any indication.

He lifted it after a few moments. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have... done that. I misread the situation, and I made a mistake."

He waited for Lucy to speak, before he turned towards their basket to avoid her devastated eyes, bringing out more food and drinks. "Let's not let it go to waste, eh?" He put on a smile.

Garcia had taken out his phone as Lucy was distracted doling out their servings. He sent a quick message to the rest of the team presently in the safe house: _'Picnic at the grove. Might need to bring your own drinks and utensils.'_

Twenty minutes later, the team arrived with a few more Tupperware containers and their own utensils. Flynn and Lucy sat on opposite ends of the blanket. They kept glancing at each other and if the team felt the awkwardness of intruding on what was probably a date, they didn't say.

Any awkwardness bled away as the team started to enjoy themselves. They had all been cooped up and clearly that was affecting their emotional and mental well-being.

Eventually Connor picked up that damn guitar and started to thrum a few cords from a Robert Johnson song.

Connor picked up the pace and the music sent a soothing beat through the grove.

Flynn glanced over at Lucy who caught his eyes and he could read the message in them: 

_Not right now doesn't mean never._

When Lucy was ready, he'd be there, he always would be.


	14. Majka

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [#FlynnFriday imagine](https://twitter.com/justalittleiphi/status/1261919447788466177): Rittenhouse travels to 1970 in an attempt to kill Maria Thompkins before she meets Asher Flynn. Garcia and the team try to keep her safe, while also ensuring that history stays on course.
> 
> #MothersDay #FlynnFamily

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was our imagine for Mother's Day. 
> 
> Shout out to @princessamerigo for letting us use the image! ❤

Flynn didn't know why he tortured himself like this.

He closed the social media apps he'd been using to see how his brother was doing. His half-brother who he saved in 1969, because Flynn would do anything to take that sadness from his mother's eyes. Even if it risked his own existence.

The alarm sounded and Flynn got to his feet, heading out to the launch area of the bunker. Rufus and Jiya were already at the computers, bringing up the Mothership's location.

"Looks like... College Station, Texas," Rufus said. "Who names someplace College Station?"

"Because it was built around a train station and a college," Wyatt said and everyone looked at him. "What? It's where Texas A&M is. Less than two hours from West Texas."

Rufus frowned at him. "You say that like less than two hours is a really short distance."

"It... is...?"

"What year?" Christopher got impatient.

"1970," Jiya supplied.

"Okay, Lucy?"

"Well, A&M is one of the top colleges..." she started to explain but for possibly the first time Flynn tuned her out.

He couldn't but think about the fact that his mother had gone to A&M, in 1970. Maria Thompkins had taken engineering courses, finished up her degree which she had put on hold years before, and that's what got her the job at Lockman which would send her to Croatia. 

If his mom failed, or was any way delayed, she may never meet his father, Asher.

Was this a coincidence? Was Rittenhouse after something else and his mom just happened to be there? With his half-brother?

"Flynn?" Lucy called his name.

He glanced up and wondered what he should tell the group. 

He looked around, everyone was staring at him expectantly. Was he asked a question? "... What?"

Wyatt rolled his eyes and was on the verge of yelling when Lucy cut him off, "I asked if you knew anything? I'm drawing a blank, for once."

Flynn took a breath, now or never, "I think it's my mother."

There was a couple of gasps, "Your mother? Maria Thompkins?"

"Yes, Wyatt. My mother." He gave him a lazy glare as he turned back to the group, "She attended classes at that time. Afterwards she moves to Croatia and meets my father."

"So they're trying to erase you from existence? By killing your mom?... That's heavy." Rufus said with a disgusted shake of her head.

"Come on, Flynn, you're not all that important. Could be my parents." Wyatt rolled his eyes.

"Take Flynn off the board then Rittenhouse never gets exposed. You don't exist, we just get another soldier." Jiya said, defending her tall friend from the self-centered soldier.

Wyatt shrunk into himself, the insult hurting him more than Jiya expected. "... Fine..."

"You also have a brother, now, right?" Lucy asked, a hand on his crossed arms.

"Yes. Gabriel would be seven in 1970." He breathed deeply, grasping at some semblance of calm as the rage tried to claw to the surface.

"I'm not letting Rittenhouse touch them," he growled.

"We're not letting them," Lucy corrected, squeezing his forearm in emphasis, then looked to the rest of the team. Jiya and Rufus nodded determinedly as Wyatt gave a nod and a shrug.

"Okay. If there's nothing else, then get going," Agent Christopher ordered.

"Let Jiya pilot this time," Rufus quickly piped up.

"Rufus?"

"Long story. I'll explain when you get back."

Anything else Jiya wanted to say, Rufus smothered with a peck on her lips, then nudged her towards the Lifeboat.

Jiya acquiesced with a slight frown as she followed Lucy, Wyatt and Flynn into the time machine.

"So, how do we do this?" Wyatt asked as he buckled himself in.

"Maria's seen Flynn and I, and you left her a cryptic message, so that blows your chance to get close to dear old mom."

"And I'm sure you've told her I'm some commie spy. So, yeah, thanks for ruining the only chance I could see my mother alive, Wyatt," Flynn spat.

"Guys."

With one soft, weary plea, both men squirmed in their seats and were suitably chastened.

"Jiya and I can keep a close eye on her, while you two can try to find Rittenhouse. ‘Sound good?"

"No," Wyatt was quick to reply. "We can't leave you two unprotected."

"Let's figure it out when we get there. Okay?" Jiya cut in, going through the jump sequence.

Everyone braced themselves as the Lifeboat wound up and blinked them out of the present.

Once arriving at the correct time and place they set out to do their usual routine. Clothes. Car. It didn't take long, especially with all the backyards with clotheslines.

"You probably wanted to see your mom, huh?" Jiya asked as she leaned against a fence post with Flynn.

The tall man looked at his shoes with a shrug, "Wouldn't you?"

"We'll keep her safe. Trust us."

Flynn smirked down at her. "Jiya, I have all the faith in the world in you and Lucy. I just..." He trailed off.

"Wanted to get a chance to talk to her?"

"I thought Lucy was the only one that could read me?" He smiled at her.

Jiya shrugged, "People pick up on their friends’ emotions sometimes."

Flynn spoke softly and gave a hopeful look, "You're my friend?"

Jiya was suddenly aware of how isolated he was. "You think I just insult Wyatt's existence for fun?"

"Well, it is fun," Flynn mused.

Jiya chuckled, then got a little more serious. "You know, you saved your brother. Your mom knows that. So whatever Wyatt might have told her, she might not take his words at face value."

He pondered that for a moment. It was true, he looked his mother right in the eye and told her that he saved Gabriel because of the sadness he always saw in her. That's not how he expected it to go. Honestly, he had hoped she would never have seen him.

What did she make of his words?

"I'm just saying." Jiya shrugged.

"Did you see anything?" Flynn asked.

"Nope," she said. "I just know that you saved her son, that's gotta mean something."

"Yeah..." Flynn pondered that as they headed towards the A&M campus.

They discussed their plan on the drive over. It was a simple one. Divide and conquer. As much as he loathed to leave Jiya and Lucy unprotected with Rittenhouse agents on the loose, Flynn knew it was the best option.

But they'd have to find Maria first, before they split up. It was possible that wherever she was, that's where Rittenhouse might be. And it didn't take Flynn long to figure out where his mother might be. There were only a handful of places.

And sure enough, she was at the library, head in several books as she took notes. As soon as Flynn spotted her, he smiled. She was just as beautiful as ever.

The plan was for Lucy and Jiya to distract her while Flynn and Wyatt searched the surrounding area for any Rittengoons that might be lurking.

What they didn't expect, however, was for Maria to look up and spot them.

"You."

Her soft voice carried clearly to Flynn's ears even as he stood there, arrested by his mother's shocked face. He put that fear there, even as resolution warred in her gaze. He couldn't look away, even if he wanted to.

Sensing Flynn's hesitation, Lucy jumped into action.

She called Maria's attention to her. "Uh, miss?" She smiled gratefully when she had the woman's attention. "The woman at the desk said you checked out the last copy of a book? You see, I really, really need it, just for an hour! I need to hand in my paper this afternoon!"

Maria blinked at her in confusion, then gestured to her pile. "Of course. Which one was it?"

It was Lucy's turn to gawp. "Uh, which... one? It's..." She scanned the titles on the table, the words were Greek to her, as far as she was concerned. She made a show of trying to recall.

"Oh, drat. I knew I should have written it down." She flashed Maria a shy grin. "Look at me! I need to research, but didn't remember to write the darn title down! I think the author was..."

She babbled as she continued the pretense of looking at each book, checking and rechecking the title and author, then putting it down and looking at another, repeating her actions. It was a silly notion, but did it, anyway, willing her thoughts at Flynn.

_'Come on, Flynn, pull yourself together!'_

Maria kept glancing back at Flynn, who was still standing in the middle of the middle of the floor. The students brushing past and bumping into him went unnoticed as he recognized the look in his mother's eyes. It was the look she gave him when he was younger and didn't want him to move. Or else.

Maria then looked past Flynn and noticed Wyatt, if her jaw dropping and her suddenly moving towards them was any indication. "You. And You. What the hell is going on here?"

Wyatt slapped on a charming smile, "Ma'am–"

"Don't you Ma'am me, sir! Last time I saw you, you claimed to be chasing him. And YOU… you saved my son. So what exactly is going on here?"

A man lurking behind one of the shelves caught Flynn's eye. He'd seen that particular goon before on a previous mission. He'd escaped with Emma. He had to get his mom out of here.

"Is your son here with you?" Flynn asked quickly.

It was quite clear the tall man didn't want to hurt Gabriel, he had saved him before. "No, with his grandparents."

Great, two other family members that Flynn had never gotten the chance to meet.

Flynn needed to stay focused.

"Wyatt," Flynn said as he subtly gestured to the Rittenhouse man who hadn't realized he'd been made yet.

"On it," the man said, moving off in a different direction so that he could circle around behind the goon.

"Miss Thompkins," Lucy dropped all pretense. "We need to leave, now."

Maria looked between them, a calculating glint in her eye that Flynn knew quite well. One that Iris had been starting to form. The look of someone rapid-firing all the possible variables and known facts.

Maria picked up her bag. "Where are we going?"

"I need to help Wyatt with our, ah, tail," Flynn informed Lucy and Jiya, then turned fully to his mother. "Please go with these ladies. We'll keep you safe."

"Safe...?" Maria murmured. "Am I in danger? Why?"

"We'll try to explain," Lucy offered, "but we'll need to keep you away from the people who are after you."

"Your home might be watched," Flynn pointed out. "Is there a large dining hall here, with an open space, plenty of people around...?"

Maria nodded. "The Sbisa Dining Hall."

"It'll do. Go with L–"

"Clarice. Starling," Lucy interjected with a smile.

"Beverly Crusher," Jiya beamed, shaking Maria's hand.

Flynn quirked an eyebrow but said nothing. "I'll grab Wyatt then look for you there. Keep your head down and try not to stand out too much."

Lucy nodded and hurried the other two women along as quickly as she could.

"Three beautiful women standing in a wide open space and you don't think people are going to notice them?" Wyatt said suddenly at his side.

"I'll ignore you calling my mother beautiful. What the hell are you doing here? I thought you went around the other side?" Flynn asked as he looked around, trying to spot the goon.

"Yeah… He walked into the stacks where 4 other agents were hiding. They know we're here."

Flynn reached into his jacket and pulled out his gun. "Great..."

* * *

Maria led Lucy and Jiya to a large hall with rows and rows of chairs and tables.

"You weren't kidding about the open space," Jiya murmured, looking about the high-ceiling hall with no small amount of awe.

"Shouldn't we find a secluded place to hide?" Maria wondered.

Lucy wondered at that herself, as she took in their surroundings. A couple of exits at the far and of the hall, the food stations on one side, then tables and chairs occupy the rest of the space. Then, something clicked.

"We're hiding in plain sight," she answered. "We can sit at a crowded section of tables and blend in. But it's best we sit closer to the exit."

At least, that's what she thought Flynn had in mind. If they tried looking for a secluded hiding place, Flynn and Wyatt might have a hard time finding them, and if Rittenhouse finds them, there was no guarantee if they could easily get away. But here, in a very public place, they should be able to see the enemy before they could be found, and they doubt Rittenhouse would do something drastic with so many witnesses around. Not to mention that she doubted she and Jiya could hold them off if their pursuers ever get past their guys...

She shook herself from the thought and had Maria and Jiya sit with her backs to the crowd. Lucy sat across them to face the large hall with a good view of the exits.

She trusted Flynn and Wyatt to do their best to keep Rittenhouse's lackeys off their backs. She just hoped they'd be okay.

* * *

Flynn rammed his elbow into the solar plexus of one of the goons he was fighting. The other was trying to stand, so he kicked him in the face. He then flipped the goon on his back and punched him. He felt his nose break.

Flynn looked around and grabbed the heaviest tome he could find and used it to effectively knock out the goon that was still attempting to stand.

Flynn took a few deep breaths before he searched for the guns they had all dropped in the skirmish.

Once he had retrieved all of them, he began the search for Wyatt and his mini fight club.

Which didn't take long; he only had to follow the sounds of a skirmish two aisles over.

He fought back a groan, pushing the pain everywhere from the forefront of his mind, and quietly staggered-trotted over. He stashed the guns on the topmost shelf, slowly cocked the two in his

hands, and took another calming breath.

Flynn whirled from his hiding place, guns out in front of him. Wyatt was in a headlock from behind by a burly grunt, his buddy driving a fist into Wyatt's middle.

"Hell-o." Flynn made himself known, making the goons freeze and turn. "You can let go now." He cocked both hammers to make a point.

The bigger man shoved Wyatt away from himself and slowly raised his hands. The other did the same, albeit more grudgingly.

"What took you so long?" Wyatt growled, slightly breathless, and proceeded to pat their new captives down for hidden weapons.

"I thought you could handle it," Flynn replied glibly, guns still aimed at their captors.

Wyatt shot him a baleful glare.

Flynn just smiled at him before he turned back to the goons. His smile slowly fading, "Wait...where's–"

The sounds of several guns being cocked sounded in his ears before he felt cool metal against his head. "Wyatt?"

"Four." The soldier supplied waiting for Flynn's signal. "I thought you there were _only_ four?"

"How was I supposed to know Goon 86 brought a gang with him?"

"If you two are finished, I'd like to kill you now." Goon 86 said with an annoyed sigh. These two have been giving them trouble for AGES. And now he could finally take them out.

Flynn gave Wyatt a look and the soldier recognized it as Flynn wanting to kill every agent in the stacks with them. He was fine with that.

Flynn prayed he wasn't about to disrespect more books by getting them shot up.

He hoped Lucy and Jiya were having a nice chat with his mother.

* * *

Lucy had been tapping her toe five minutes after they took their seat. She couldn't seem to settle. She had been keeping watch on both exits just like Wyatt had taught her.

( _'Just don't make it bleeding obvious,'_ Flynn had said the one time she tried and he saw her.)

( _'Yes, Flynn, I'm doing that now,'_ she told the Flynn in her head with a mental eye-roll).

She was also keeping half an ear to Jiya and Maria chatting. They seem to be getting along well, considering both women's different fields of interest. She could only wish she could relate to what they were talking about.

"I'm sorry, Agent Crusher," Maria smoothly cut in Jiya's discourse on a topic that went way over Lucy's head. "While I'd love to continue this talk with you, neither have you been forthcoming about what's going on." Her eyes narrowed slightly, that calculating look was back, and Lucy was struck with how it looked uncannily like Flynn's.

"You can start with how you know Agent Mulder and... that other man."

Lucy and Jiya exchanged a look. She gave Jiya a reassuring nod.

"We can't tell you very much," Lucy slowly admitted, "but we've gotten that other man to work with us to help us find the spy trying to infiltrate Lockman."

Maria frowned. "For a spy who used to work on the other side, he had a strange way of going about it."

"How so?" Jiya interjected. Flynn's brief exchange with his mother was never discussed in their briefing, from what Lucy could recall.

"H-he talked as if... he knew me." Her eyes far away, lost in memory. "That I always seemed sad. And I believed him–even after Agent Mulder told me he was a Russian spy. He told me what happened to his family. And"–she turned away to swipe her fingers under her eyes–"you can't fake the agony of loss like that." 

Lucy couldn't muster a response, her heart breaking a little seeing the mirrored grief that stirred within the green depths of Maria's eyes.

She'd seen that heartbreak before. On Flynn's face several times, back when he was fighting Rittenhouse by himself. He hid it better now. There were moments when Lucy could see right through his masks.

"It's all very… complicated." Lucy hoped that would be enough of an answer.

Maria gave her a look. A look only a mother could. Lucy shifted in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable under her gaze.

Jiya, sensing the tension, cut in with the first thing that came to mind, "Weird that Rufus didn't want to come, right? He would have loved to talk to a fellow engineer. You don't think he was scared of Rittenhouse, do you?"

Maria looked over at Jiya, confused by her statement. "Rittenhouse? Peculiar name. Any relations to the mathematician?"

"Clock maker, actually." Lucy supplied.

"They are one and the same, then. David Rittenhouse?"

"Uh, no it's just a coincidence," Lucy lies smoothly. It would be harder to explain, which they didn't have the time for. "But we'd ask not to repeat that name in public," she added, with a quick but intent look Jiya's way. _Later_ , she seemed to say.

"That was the only lead we have on the person or persons we're looking for," Lucy continued. "And we can't say more about our operation if we don't want it to be compromised. What we can say is that you're one of the targets."

* * *

Flynn drew back when there were no goons left standing, breathing heavily as he surveyed the bodies surrounding him and Wyatt.

He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, which came away with blood. "Next time," he panted, with a glare Wyatt's way, "count correctly."

Wyatt tossed up a hand, exhausted from the linebacker he had to take down. "I… ah, forget it. I say we just shoot them next time."

Flynn wanted to agree, but his mother AND Lucy would kill him if he was responsible for a book getting shredded by bullets. "Maybe the next batch of agents will ambush us out in a field."

Wyatt stood with a smirk, "If only. We gotta tie them up. Call the cops."

Flynn was already reaching for a goons belt, "You get anything from our time. I'll secure them. We can alert security on our way out."

Wyatt went and did as he was told without comment, which Flynn cocked an eyebrow at before proceeding to get the things he needed to truss up some goons.

When he reached Goon 86, he was beginning to stir. Seeing this, Flynn swung a kick to his face. It caused the long slice just under his left side to burn like a bitch. He was tired, very sore, and Very Murdery.

"Bringing a knife to a fistfight. _Jebi se _!"

Good 86 fell like a ton of bricks. Worth it.

He channeled his rage against the brutes by tying the restraints a little too tight by the heavy tables, making sure they were secure while they stew waiting for the authorities.

Wyatt arrived just as Flynn tied off the last grunt.

"Well, looks like everything's taken care of!" Wyatt declared proudly.

Flynn pursed his lips and bit back a groan as he straightened.

"No," he said with deadly calm. "If these are all the goons, then that leaves just one more."

Wyatt shot him an annoyed glare, then his face went slack.

"Emma."

* * *

Maria was in the middle of a rant regarding time travel that Jiya had roped her into, to "distract her" from asking too many questions. Jiya was listening intently, comparing what she was saying to what she knew was possible.

Lucy was busy glaring a hole into the side of Jiya's head when the fourth seat at their table was suddenly taken.

Emma gave them a smug smile. She had her gun aimed at Maria. None of the students seemed to notice as they walked past. "Jiya! It's been a while, we should catch up."

"I wouldn't point that gun at her, if I were you." Jiya glared at the redhead. If looks could kill...

Emma chuckled, "The boys are busy and it's just us. Let's have some girl time. You two stay here. I'll leave with Maria."

"You're not going anywhere with her. We won't let you." Lucy said through clenched teeth. Where were the boys?

Emma laughed this time. "Really, Princess? You couldn't stop me from killing your own mother, what makes you think you could stop me from killing Flynn's?"

Maria was confused, her son's name is Gabriel.

"Take me. Leave her out of this."

"Aw. Protecting the in-laws?"

Lucy's eyes widened in apprehension before schooling it to a glare. Emma caught it, and her smirk grew.

"Why don't you two just sit back and wait for your boys to come back–well, if they come back," she amended with a shrug. "And Mommy dearest and I will take a walk."

"No–"

Lucy was starting to protest when Jiya laid a firm hand on her arm. She could tell the gun was aimed at Maria under the table.

Emma's smug face melted into cold malice and she beckoned to Maria with a jerk of her head to stand and walk ahead of her.

"You know how this will go, ladies," Emma reminded Lucy and Jiya as she quickly stood behind Maria. "Follow us, warn anyone, and she won't be the only one who will get erased."

She nudged Maria to move as the other women could only watch. 

* * *

Flynn and Wyatt headed for the dining hall to meet back up with the girls. Hopefully they would have remained hidden amongst the crowd. Though, that would also make it hard for him to find them as well.

Maybe he could just send Wyatt in after them. That way Flynn wouldn't have to see his mother again. Not a thought he particularly wanted to have. In fact, he really wished he could just sit down and spend time with her.

Not having enough time with the people he loved, perhaps he was cursed.

"I wonder where Emma is," Wyatt commented as they walked.

"She doesn't always do the dirty work," Flynn reminded him, hoping this was the case.

"Yeah, well, if the mission is to erase you, I'm pretty sure she'd want a front row seat. I would," Wyatt said with an unrepentant shrug.

Flynn wanted to be angry, but the logic was sound.

They entered the dining hall and it was crowded as he expected it would be. Someone could get shanked and no one would notice.

"You see them?" Wyatt asked, popping up on his toes but still coming nowhere close to Flynn's height.

He scanned the room and he immediately spotted Lucy. He could find her anywhere. Jiya was next to her, but where was his mother?

Flynn followed their line of sight.

Emma had Maria.

Wyatt's soul left him when an animalistic growl began emitting from Flynn. He followed the taller man's line of sight and realized why Flynn was about to go ballistic.

Flynn took two steps before Wyatt gripped his arm. "Hey, man, I know you want nothing more than to kill Emma for so much as looking at your mom, but her plan is to kill her. What makes you think she isn't above killing a bunch of innocent students to get away?"

Flynn leveled a murderous glare at the soldier. "My mother IS an innocent student. Emma so much as moves her hair out of place, I will rip her eyes out with my fingers."

Wyatt opened his mouth, his words died in his throat when he noticed fear in Flynn's eyes. He snapped his mouth close and released him. "At least wait until she's in a less populated place. I'll get the girls out."

Flynn took a deep breath. "Fine."

Wyatt gave a nod and took a few steps away before turning back to Flynn. "With your fingers?"

"Logan!" He yelled through clenched teeth.

Wyatt turned and continued on his way. "Getting the girls."

Flynn jogged out of the building and caught sight of his mother.

It was taking all his willpower not to run up to them and dropkick Emma for even touching her.

"I don't know what you want from me," he heard his mother say, her voice slightly trembling. "And I highly doubt you can get it."

"Stubborn as your son," Emma remarked. "Now, I know where he gets it from."

Maria's face went blank. "What do you know about my son?" she asked quietly, making Flynn freeze. The dead calm in her tone brought back flashes of him getting into mischief, of his mother looming over him and her eyes simmering. He REALLY need to make a move very soon.

"Oh, I'm not talking about your _older_ son," Emma carelessly replied. "I'm talking about the other, more bullheaded one." She smirked as she made them stop at a secluded spot away from the school building.

"And I don't want anything from you," she continued. "I just want you gone." 

Maria was SO confused. "I only have _one_ son. Gabriel. You must be conf–"

"You have one _now_. But you'll have a kid soon enough and he'll grow up to be the most irritating pain in my ass." Emma rolled her eyes. The constant questions were starting to grate on her nerves.

Maria then started putting the pieces together. The topic of time travel. The way these people always show up when she needs help. And this woman talking about a child she is _going_ to have?

"You're from the future." It wasn't a question.

"Now you're catching on. You really are a brilliant woman. I'm almost sorry I'm about to kill you." Emma shrugged and pressed her gun against Maria's temple. "Hopefully, your family is less of a problem with you gone."

Maria closed her eyes. It's not supposed to end like this.

"Drop. It."

A chill ran up Emma's spine. She pasted a smile before grabbing Maria and shoving her in front of herself, gun repositioned against Maria's side. A few yards away stood Garcia Flynn, his gun aimed straight at her head, face set in cold fury.

"Impeccable timing as always. And by that, I mean you always show up to ruin everything," Emma quipped. "And now, that's going to change."

"By killing an innocent woman?"

She rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Spare me the rhetoric, Flynn. It's not as if you wouldn't do the same thing."

Flynn's mind is suddenly filled with the memory of almost killing John Rittenhouse. A child. But he was desperate then. He wouldn't do that now.

"Let. Her. Go." He was trying his best to keep calm. He didn't want to risk shooting his mother.

"I've never pegged you for a mommy's boy, but here we are."

Maria looked from Emma to Flynn and her eyes slowly widened as she finished the puzzle. This man was her son?

Flynn made eye contact with Maria and he realized that she figured it out. Maria, on the other hand, was shocked to see familiar eyes looking back.

Is that why she and Gabriel felt so at ease the first time they saw him? Her mind reeled.

Flynn was just as conflicted. No, he didn't want this. He didn't want his mother to _ever_ find out about him. Fucking Emma...

"That's what we do, don't we, Emma?" he said. "We'd do anything for the people we love. Just like what you did for your mother."

"You know that crap won't work on me," Emma sneered, digging the gun further into Maria's side, making her whimper.

Flynn felt himself tense at hearing his mother's despair, but battled with himself for calm. "And _you_ know you won't be walking away from here if you kill her. I guarantee that," he bit out.

"Fine. A trade then. I let her go. You let me walk." Emma sneered, not seeing a good way out of this. Her back was literally against a wall. She could cut into the alley, but he'd shoot her before she made it very far.

Flynn struggled with himself, he didn't trust Emma to keep her word, but he wasn't willing to gamble with his mother's life. He didn't care if he was never born. He just didn't want his mother hurt.

"Fine. Let her go."

Emma released her hold on Maria, but before she could take a step forward, Emma pistol-whipped her with such force that she bounced off the brick wall next to them and slid to the floor.

"MAMA!" Flynn rushed to her side, ignoring Emma's bat out of hell routine.

He caught Maria before her head hit the ground and held her to his chest, gently checking the tender area. "Mama? Can you hear me?"

"Flynn??!"

"Over here!" he called over his shoulder. Lucy, Wyatt and Jiya were running across the school field.

"Emma?" Wyatt called out.

"High-tailed it that way." He pointed to the direction he saw her went before his attention had been diverted to his mother. Wyatt nodded and shot past them.

Lucy nearly tripped as she almost overbalanced going from a sprint to a crouch beside Flynn. "What happened? Did Emma..."

Flynn shook his head, his gaze never leaving Maria's slack face as blood continued to ooze from the open wound from her hairline.

"Hit her on the head before leaving." He checked the back of her head for wounds - nothing but a lump that was starting to form. He breathed a little easier, but he wanted her awake.

" _Majk_ –Maria? Please wake up." He pushed her hair out of her face, then fished out his handkerchief to press over the bleeding wound.

"She needs a hospital," Lucy quietly pointed out.

Flynn was shaking his head. "I got it. I'll take care of her."

"You know as well as we do that you won't be able to do that once we leave," Jiya countered. "Let's get help from the staff so she can be taken care of properly."

Flynn looked up, pain in his shimmering eyes. "I'm not leaving her until I know she's okay!"

Lucy could see the tears Flynn was fighting back and she placed a hand on his arm. He looked like a frightened child.

"I can take care of her myself!" He said with force. Trying to make them understand.

"I'm sure I would have raised you better than to yell at a lady."

Flynn looked down and his mother's eyes were open. If she had any doubt he was her son it would have dissipated as soon as she saw his eyes, especially this close up. His father always told him he got his eyes from his mother.

"You did." He said, cementing the truth. He breathed a sigh of relief as he sheepishly looked back at Lucy, apologizing with his eyes. She accepted with hers. He then turned his attention back to Maria, "You're bleeding."

Maria gingerly touched her head. "One thing I learned from raising a boy, head wounds look worse than they are."

The tightness in Flynn's chest gradually uncoiled. "How are you feeling?" he asked a little shakily. "How bad does your head hurt?"

"It's like someone is drilling inside my head, but I think I'll be okay," she responded with a gentle hand on his wrist. "Are you really my son?"

Should he really confirm her suspicions? He looked to the other women for support, and only got uncertain smiles in return. It was up to him.

"I-I am."

Maria looked up at him in wonder. "Incredible," she said. Her hand drifted up as if she wanted to touch his face, but held back. "How...?"

"Like I told you," Jiya called her attention. "The concept of time travel _is_ real."

"Then you... all of you are from the future?"

Jiya nodded as Flynn helped Maria sit up and lean back against the wall, one hand keeping the handkerchief on her wound in place.

Maria looked between them, then back to her son. He had to be around 40, visiting her from the new millennium. And his voice, accented... didn't Jacob tell her that if she finished her degree then there would be a place for her in his new research project... in Eastern Europe...

"Tell me no more," she decided, part of her wanting to know everything. "I don't want to overthink and mess up whatever awaits me... I almost lost Gabriel, I don't want to risk losing you, too."

He swallowed hard, "They may come after you again."

"I understand," she nodded, then gave him a steely expression born from the depths of her soul. "And I promise you, they will never hurt you, I won't allow anyone to hurt my boys."

He gives her a smile, grateful for her words, but knows that Rittenhouse will hurt him when they take his family from him. He suddenly wants to tell her. To explain that he's guilty of many things, but not of the crimes he is accused of in the future. That he's not a terrorist.

But he can't.

"These people… Rittenhouse? Is there anything I can do on my side of the timeline?" Maria asked, mind already at work.

Flynn laughs, some things never change. Here she was, holding a handkerchief to a bleeding head wound and she wanted to help him with his problem.

"Avoid them. I don't want you or Gabriel getting hurt or putting a target on yourself."

She goes to argue, but a look comes over Flynn's face and it's Maria's turn to laugh. "You're brother gives me the same look when he's being serious. I guess you two get it from me."

Flynn couldn't help himself but smile, even when his heart was being crushed. He couldn't tell her that he knew nothing about his brother at all. All he wanted was to remember her face as she stared at him in awe and pure affection.

"I know."

He helped her to stand, but firmly refused to be carried by him, much to the amusement of the other women. She made the concession of leaning on his arm for support to appease him.

This, he thought, was the least he could do for the heartache he will wrought decades from now. And he will keep the memory of these few moments locked away in his heart.

"I guess we now know where he got his iron determination from," Lucy said with a teasing lilt, bringing up Maria's other side, with a supporting on her shoulder and arm.

"I think the words you used to describe me was stubborn as f–"

"Aha-I don't think Maria needs to hear that," Lucy cut in with a nervous laugh.

"Oh, please," Maria piped up. "I study and work mostly with male engineering students. My ears aren't as delicate as you'd think."

She flashed Lucy a smirk so reminiscent of Flynn's, Lucy was getting mental whiplash.

Maria looked between the two. She could see a spark between them and she wondered if she had any grandchildren. Something to look forward to, she thought as they walked.

Shoes pounding on pavement caught their attention and Flynn quickly retrieved his gun, aiming it at the man behind them.

"WOAH! Just me!" Wyatt said, clearly out of breath.

"Damn it, Logan!" Flynn hissed out, hiding his gun away again. "I almost killed you."

"Emma's in the wind." He looked at Maria, concern on his face, "Hospital?"

"Let's go steal a car!" Jiya said, Maria gave her a disappointing look. "I mean… let's go FIND a car?"

Maria rolled her eyes and everyone looked at Flynn. He was a lot like his mother.

"I have a car, we can use it." She handed the keys to Jiya.

"We'll pull the car up." She then grabbed Wyatt to help in searching for the car.

Wyatt and Jiya ran off to fetch the car, Maria allowed herself to rest against her son's arm. She tried not to think about her future, of who his father must be.

She looked at Lucy instead. Lucy was smart, capable, and generally lovely. What a nice daughter-in-law she will make.

But her eyes fell on Lucy's hand and noticed there was no ring. There was one on her son, though. Surely the way those two looked at and acted with each other, Lucy would have the matching band.

Then she remembered what he had told her, and it all became clear. Her son had gone through so much...

Without thinking she moved and wrapped him in a hug. He may have been taller, but he held himself like a young boy getting a much needed comfort from his mother.

He muttered something in a language she didn't know, but she understood.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," she told him, then pulled back so she could hold his face in her hands. "Whatever has happened, whatever will happen, I know you've done your best, and you stand at the right side of history."

Flynn's heart stuttered at hearing his mother's words that he had to slow down lest he embarrass himself in front of his mother and Lucy. His knees were feeling weak from the relief, from the guilt, from the burden he took upon himself. He wanted to get down on his knees in front of these remarkable women, ask for their absolution.

Instead, he slowed them down to a halt, looked down at his mother's quizzical look. The time has come to leave draws nearer, and this will be the last time he'd see her. He could stay, watch out for her until the time she and his father meet. But Flynn knew that was a crazy idea, and Lucy will kick his ass, that's for sure.

"Thank you," he managed to say. "The first time we met, I was untethered. I didn't know if I wanted to go on anymore, and I didn't care if I took myself out of existence by saving Gabriel."

Seeing the realization and horror on Maria's face, he took her hands in his and continued. "But I've got a team now," he assured her. "People who will see to it that history won't be held hostage by monsters, who will make sure that I don't fall back into the darkness."

He bowed over their joined hands, kissing hers. "Thank you for believing in me," he whispered.

Maria freed one of her hands from his and cupped his face with it. Softly caressing his cheekbone and he leaned into it. Looking every bit like a scared child.

"I will always believe in you." It felt right saying that. And the relief that crossed over his face made her smile.

A car pulled up behind her and from the sadness she could now see in his eyes, knew his friends had arrived with her car.

"That's your ride."

"You're not coming with me, are you?" It wasn't really a question. She already knew his answer.

"I want to, but… I trust my team to get you to the hospital safely." He smiled at her and pulled her into another hug. His mom always gave the best hugs.

After a few moments he pulled away and looked at Wyatt. "I'll head back to the Lifeboat with Lucy. Take care of my mother."

Wyatt nodded, "Hospital’s not far. We won't be long."

Jiya leaned out of the window of the backseat. "Flynn, your mom had like six tasers in here. I'm both impressed and concerned. I need answers. Also, can I have one?"

Maria smiled at Jiya, but asked her son, "Is she always like this?"

"She's easily excitable."

Flynn escorted her mother to the back seat of her car and made sure she got settled in before closing the door.

Maria peered out of the open window. "Will I see you again? In your present?" She asked quietly.

"After what happened today? I'm not sure," was his equally quiet reply. His resolve was starting to crumble.

"Please, take care of yourself," Maria implored, holding on to his hands, with a glance off to Flynn's right where Lucy was standing.

Flynn nodded. "I will." Giving in to the impulse, he seized his mother's face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "Live happy and well, _majka moje _," he whispered hoarsely against her hair.

With one last kiss to her hair, Flynn wrenched himself away from her and joined Lucy's side. They both waved at her as the car slowly backed away, Flynn etching his mother's tearful smile in his brain. He almost didn't register Jiya's watery smile as she waved from the front seat.

As soon as the car was out of sight, Flynn let out a short sob, swaying as he stood. Lucy snagged him at the waist, making him grunt painfully.

He let himself be led to a nearby stone bench and be fussed over for a few minutes, too drained all around to put up even a token protest.

"You idiot," Lucy hissed when she saw the smudged boot mark on his white dress shirt. "We should have gone to the hospital with them."

"I'm not sure I could make myself leave if I did," he said weakly.

Lucy merely stared back, eyes a pool of sadness and compassion. With a hand on his shoulder, she pulled her to him. Flynn obeyed and laid his head on her shoulder. He could trust her with his tears.

"Why do you have to be such a big, wonderful, noble idiot?" she muttered into his hair, her voice wobbly.

Maria was checked out at the hospital. There was no concussion, just some stitches needed. With this good news, Wyatt and Jiya decided it was time to leave.

"They might come after you again," he told her. "Or they might not. Flynn has showed them a few times now that it would be more trouble than it's worth to go after his family."

"I understand. And I think you'll find that he gets that from me."

There was no argument from the two time travelers. They left her to her future, one that she tried not to think about even as it filled all her waking thoughts for the next few days.

Flynn? Why would she name her boy that? She supposed she let the father... 

_Father_. After losing her first husband, Maria didn't think she'd find love again. Would she still, knowing what she knows? Would she second guess and make a mistake?

Eventually, Maria took a deep breath and focused on what she could control. She had a little boy who needed his mother now. She had classes and a degree that she had to finish.

For all she knew, meeting Flynn's father had nothing to do with the Lockman project she was offered.

Two years later and Maria had graduated with honors. The research project was still available because it had literally taken that long to get funded and set up.

"You'll love the Adriatic," she told Gabriel. He was much more excited about the move than she thought he would be. His sense of adventure had been ignited.

They moved, got settled in, and Maria tried to simply live her life as she would, not second guess her choices. Not every tall handsome man could be Flynn's father. And there were far too many of them to count along the Adriatic.

"Thank you, Mr. Kovačević," Maria accepted a cup of coffee from the man. He did little things like that, nudges like reminding her that she was going to miss lunch.

He smiled shyly. "There is a festival this weekend. I was wondering if you would like to go... with me."

Maria went with her gut reaction. "I would love to."

He smiled brightly and made her all warm-fuzzy inside. They set up the date and it was all she could think of for the rest of the day.

"Your head in the game?" Jacob asked her when they were going over numbers.

"Sorry, I was thinking about Mr. Kovačević. He asked me out. Is that going to be okay?"

"Different departments." he shrugged. "I don't care so long as it doesn't affect your work."

"Of course."

Jacob then shook his head. "You are the only person who calls him Kovac-ich-tck-whatever."

"That is his name," Maria frowned. If they would bother to learn how to pronounce it.

"Maybe legally, but he picked a good English name. It's on all his paperwork."

She didn't care for their casual racism, but she supposed she should know. "What name?"

"Flynn. Asher Flynn."

Flynn practically flew down the steps to get to the computers, where Rufus sat. "Do you know me?"

Rufus looked up at him startled by his looming presence. "Of course I do, Flynn. You're still born. I've been refreshing the page Homeland has on you since you all left. Look."

He rolled his chair out of the way so that Flynn could familiarize himself with his own history.

Flynn's shoulders sagged in relief. Everything was the same. Well… not _everything_ . Flynn noted some minor details had been changed from when he had last looked at the files on his family. Gabriel was no longer an architect, but a chef. And he had an honorable discharge from the Croatian army. _That's new,_ he thought as he moved to his mother's file.

A big chunk of it was redacted. And that wasn't surprising, given how she had worked on classified projects after she had gotten her degree. Only difference in hers was that she actually lived closer now. In Nevada.

Flynn's eyes widened in shock at what he was reading. She and his father had moved back to the States after he was branded a terrorist.

"Everything okay, Flynn?" Lucy asked.

It took about a minute before Flynn replied. "Y-yeah. She's still alive. They both are. But why would they endanger themselves like that?" He read the rest of his dossier, but there was nothing else of relevance about his parents after their move.

"They wanted to be here."

Denise joined their little group by the console. "We've had Interpol keep an eye on them since that day when... you know."

She spoke the last words softly. Flynn stiffened. Everyone didn't need to know what she meant.

"So, of course we knew when they came here. It was easier to keep them safe from Rittenhouse, especially when news of your arrest came out."

While Flynn was reeling from the information, Denise held out a thumb drive. "Do you know what this is?"

Seeing his puzzled expression, Denise sighed. "You suspected this would happen with this mission," she said resignedly, "so you asked me to have it ready."

"What is it?" Flynn asked, taking the USB stick. If it came from his other self, it meant he _really_ needed to see it.

"A reminder." Denise paused, with a hand on Rufus' arm as she addressed Flynn. "We'll leave you to it."

"Use this." Rufus took a laptop sitting by the right-most workstation. "It's clean, and currently not connected to the outside world." He clapped Flynn on the shoulder.

"Wait," Flynn called out as they turned to go. "Lucy, do you mind if you..." He gestured to the empty chair beside him.

He felt his face heat up at their curious expressions. When Lucy nodded and took the seat, he relaxed slightly.

He smiled at her in thanks. "I'm not sure what's in it," he admitted, turning the object over in his hands. "But, whatever it is, I want someone to be around to... help bring me back to myself." He winced at how obscure that was.

But Lucy–brilliant, beautiful Lucy–her face softened, regarding him with a tenderness that had no business of it being directed at him.

"Of course," she answered, tone hushed. "Whatever you need."

He flashed her a quick grin before plugging the USB stick into the laptop. There was only one file: a video clip with a random string of characters for a filename. Taking a deep breath, he opened it.

"Hello, Garcia."

The breath he took was punched out of out of him. The hair was shorter, its rich shade gone. Time has weathered the face, but he'd know that striking face and intelligent eyes anywhere, any timeline.

Seeing who it was on the screen, Lucy made to stand. "Flynn, I think I shouldn't be–"

"No!" His hand caught her wrist in a gentle grip while he paused the video. "It's okay. I still want you to be here."

"If you're sure..."

"Absolutely."

He resumed the video once Lucy sat back down.

"I'm not sure if this will ever reach you, but I trust this will find its way to you," the woman in the

video went on.

"Denise?" Lucy whispered.

Flynn shrugged, eyes taking in the image on the screen hungrily.

" _Tata _, Gabriel and I are fine, we're healthy. Don't you worry. And I know you will." She shot the camera with a knowing look Flynn knew all too well from memories of his younger days. His eyes burned.

"I wish I could see you," the woman said with a sigh heavy in sorrow. "Hold you in my arms again. But this is not the place nor time"–her eyes had a glint to them–"for it.

"I will tell you this, though: _we don't care what's been said about you_ . We believe in you. I will **always** believe in you."

Flynn felt the weight lift slowly from his chest. Guilt, rage, or regrets, he wasn't sure. It was a constant companion he'd gotten so used to, the eased burden was making him giddy.

His hand had come up to the screen without realizing it. His fingertips traced the edge of her cheek, a poor echo of a gesture she made to him, almost half a century away.

"We have so much to tell you, and I'm sure you do, too. So. Go do what you need to do, then come home straight away. Do you understand?" There was that wicked gleam again, then her features sobered.

Flynn felt warmth squeeze his other hand. Lucy. She, too, understood the weight of the other's words.

"Come home soon, Garcia. We'll be waiting."

It was spoken with such burning conviction that Flynn felt an answering fire within him. Home. He had someplace, someone he could come home to after all this.

"I love you, _moj dječak _." She kissed the tips of her fingers, and held them out towards the screen.

Flynn mirrored her actions as the hot tears fell unbidden. 

" _I ja tebe volim, Mama. _"


	15. Shutterbug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [#FlynnFriday imagine](https://twitter.com/thalia_msr/status/1266252218551824384): It's back to the Civil War when Rittenhouse decides to jump. Jiya brings her camera along for the ride after an injured Wyatt is forced to stay in the Bunker.
> 
> Short and sweet chapter this time. ^^

"Ow," Wyatt whined as Rufus poked his leg.

"Did that hurt?" Rufus asked.

"I said ow!"

"Yeah, but it was kinda whiny," Rufus pointed out. "Like an annoying little brother that will remain nameless." Rufus loved his little brother, but he was also a little brother.

"There are little chips of bone missing from my femur," Wyatt tried not to sound whiny, "so yes, it hurts."

A Rittenhouse goon managed to get in a good shot, the bullet lodging in Wyatt's leg, scraping the bone. He was laid up in the lounge with his leg elevated.

Rufus poked another spot. "Does that hurt?"

"Where is my gun?" Wyatt asked, exasperated.

"You can't shoot Rufus," Jiya swatted at his shoulder. "Cause that would make me cry, which would make Lucy cry, and Flynn would have to kill you."

Rufus poked another part of Wyatt's leg. "Did that hurt?"

Wyatt let out a scream of frustration that was drowned out by the jump alarm.

Jiya and Rufus headed for the computer. Lucy, Flynn, Denise and Connor, all converged on them. Wyatt was annoyed he couldn't move, but he could hear.

"Where'd they jump?" Denise asked.

"Man," Rufus shook his head, "the Civil War, again?" 

"Can I go, since Wyatt's hurt?" Jiya asked with a huge smile.

Denise rolled her eyes, "Fine. But do NOT bring your camera."

Jiya looks innocently over at the agent, "I would never!"

Flynn rolled his eyes, knowing damn well that Jiya was going to convince him to smuggle her camera for her. And he'd agree, because of course he would.

Denise glared, not entirely convinced. Jiya just snuck away to help Lucy into the clothes she already had from the last trip to the Civil War.

Wyatt groaned from the couch, he hated how useless he was to the team.

Flynn checked his gun, making sure he had enough ammo. Denise had walked off to make a call.

"Heya," Jiya slid up next to him.

"No."

"But I–"

"No."

"Please..." Jiya pouted.

Flynn tried to stay strong this time.

He didn't.

"Gimme the camera."

Jiya gleefully shoved it into his hand then ran off. He slipped it into his pocket and chuckled at himself. More and more Jiya was becoming special to him, like a daughter. She wouldn't ever replace Iris, but it was just another sign that, well, Lucy was right.

He could be part of a family again.

"Let's go old man," Rufus said as he walked past, towards the Lifeboat.

It was quite possible that Rufus was the only living being on this Earth who could get away with saying that to him.

He let everyone climb in first, waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey, Flynn," Wyatt called out to him.

"Yeah?"

"Bring them all back," Wyatt said.

Flynn was gonna fire off a snarky comment, but he saw the look in Wyatt's eyes. The Texan wasn’t threatening Flynn, he was trusting him.

All Flynn could do was nod, then climbed into the Lifeboat. 

After safely landing the Lifeboat at the correct time, Jiya was the first one out. Taking in the fresh air and smiling up at Flynn, who had exited after her.

"Give it!" She said with grabby hands.

Flynn lightly glared at her as he turned to help Lucy down from the time machine.

"You brought her camera, didn't you?" Lucy asked once she was placed on the ground. Flynn blushed a little and shrugged. Lucy just rolled her eyes, "You have to learn to say no."

"Yes, Professor." Was his snarky reply before producing the camera and passing it to an excited Jiya.

"You didn't want me to take a picture of you mooning over Lucy when you helped her down," Jiya mumbled as she messed with the settings of the camera.

"Whaaat?" Flynn sputtered.

Jiya brought the camera up and quickly took a picture. "Priceless."

"Ah," Lucy laughed awkwardly, "we should probably go and, you know, protect history."

"Sure, sure," Jiya snapped a picture of her, then tucked the camera away, for the time being. "Where to?"

Lucy looked around, getting her bearings.

"Looks like a road over there," Flynn pointed off to their left.

"We should follow it East," Lucy decided.

Rufus locked up the Lifeboat and they headed to the road. They found east and got to walking.

Lucy and Flynn were at the front, side by side, discussing the history of the Civil War and what was currently happening. They heard a click.

"Do you regret helping her smuggle that?" Lucy asked, though she was hiding a smile.

"Not today," Flynn replied quietly. 

A few more clicks caused Flynn to groan a little and he turned to scold the younger woman when he noticed that she's taking pictures of herself and Rufus.

He smirks at them before he turned back to Lucy, "It's a shame we don't get that excited over something as simple as taking pictures."

Lucy glanced back at her friends and smiles at their silliness and Rufus's inability to say no to Jiya and her camera. Much like the man next to her. "I get excited over small things."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Spending time with you, excites me."

Flynn is so surprised by her comment that he stopped walking and stared after her in wonder.

_ CLICK. CLICK. _

"Close your mouth Flynn. You'll catch flies if you don't." Jiya snickered as she and Rufus walked by him.

Flynn blinked out of it and caught Lucy attempting to hide a smile by looking forward. He smiled as he walked behind the group, hands clasped behind him as he took in his team.

Lucy was leading with Rufus a little behind her, asking questions about the time they've landed in. Jiya was behind them, stopping every few steps to take pictures.

He shouldn't have smuggled the camera, but they rarely smile during these missions and Jiya had the ability to make them all smile whenever she had her camera in her hands.

Is it annoying? Yes, of course. They have a mission to do. But he'd be the first one in line to defend her and her hobby.

"Whatcha thinking about?"

Jiya asked as she showed him the photos of him she had just taken, a small smile on his face as he looked at the ground.

Flynn nodded his approval before speaking, "About you and the camera."

Jiya looked surprised, before suspicion seeps through, "Are you gonna break it?" She moved it away from him.

He chuckles, "Of course not. I like how much you enjoy yourself. It's… adorable."

Jiya beamed up at him. "Getting soft on me, Flynn?"

Flynn was about to respond when he noticed Lucy and Rufus had stopped walking and a couple of bodies on the road ahead of them.

"Stay away from the windows," Flynn barked as he bared the door to the cabin.

The good news was they found the sleeper and eliminated them. Bad news was the soldiers he had befriended were a bit pissed at Flynn for shooting them.

Jiya had rigged some Molotov's which gave them a sizable head start. They let the horses go and hid in the cabin. They would walk back to the Lifeboat once they felt the coast was clear.

Lucy, Jiya, and Rufus huddled in the back as Flynn watched stealthily from the window. So far it was quiet.

_ Click _

"Jiya!" Lucy scolded.

"What? Like you didn't want a picture of Flynn being all intense over there?"

"Ah..." Lucy was at a loss. 

"Can we thirst after Flynn AFTER we're safe?" Rufus huffed.

Jiya gave him a smirk, "Ok, as long as you tell me how long you've been thirsting after Flynn."

Rufus looked from Jiya to Lucy and then back again with a roll of his eyes. "You know that's not what I meant."

"It's what you said." Lucy added with a glance at Flynn.

"How long have YOU been thirsting after tall, dark, and murdery?"

Lucy scoffed, "This isn't about me. It's about your man crush on Flynn."

"I do NOT have a man crush on Flynn!"

"I'm hurt. Truly." Flynn says from behind Rufus.

"Motherf–" Rufus clutched at his chest, rounding on Flynn. "What the hell, man??" He hadn't even heard the man come up behind him! Inconsiderate asshole.

"If I didn't have respect for Jiya, I wouldn't have minded you hitting on me," Flynn said with a leer, totally ignoring Rufus' indignant wide eyes.

"Uh, clear and present danger? We're not out of the literal and figurative woods yet?" Rufus reminded the other man.

Flynn scoffed, making a show of priming his gun. "I'm multitasking." 

"I'm traveling through time with children," Lucy mumbled. Flynn heard her and so she clarified. "That includes you."

Flynn made a little pout not typically seen on a hardened "terrorist" and it was actually adorable. But Lucy tried not to smile and get the three of them started again. So she cleared her throat and gestured to the window. Flynn nodded, like he saw the smile anyway, and went back to keeping watch.

Jiya took another photo.

"Can you at least turn the sound off?" Lucy asked.

"I did once, remember?" Jiya started fiddling with the settings. "You all got paranoid about when I was taking them."

It was true, and Lucy chastised herself for it. "You really do enjoy photography. I'm sorry, I should be more supportive of your hobby."

Especially as they were stuck in the bunker... isolated. 

"But we need to draw the line somewhere, especially if we might be in the middle of a firefight during missions," Lucy added as an afterthought.

"Looks like someone's going to be grounded once we get home," Flynn quipped, not taking his eyes off from the window.

Jiya rolled her eyes. "Jeez, mom and dad, I'm right here."

Lucy shot a grin at her, then went on alert seeing Flynn tense up. "Company?" 

Flynn watched as four Rittengoons emerged from the woods and looked at the three behind him, wishing for a moment that Wyatt was here to help protect them.

"Stay quiet and don't move. Jiya, do NOT take any pictures until I return. Got it?" He ordered and everyone nodded along.

He pulled out the extra gun Wyatt sneaked to him, while Agent Christopher wasn't looking, from the back of his pants. He handed it to Jiya.

"You'll have to shoot with that, for now." He shot a quick apologetic look Rufus' way. Flynn was aware that he could be putting Jiya's life in more peril, but, of the three of them, Jiya had the best (and unfortunate) experience in a conflict like this.

Jiya swallowed before taking the weapon. The fear in her eyes changed into resolve. She nodded to Flynn. 

Flynn went to stand, but Jiya quickly tugged on the bottom of his coat.

"Wait, wait!!"

Flynn looked back, confused.

"No kiss goodbye? I could get shot."

Flynn rolled his eyes and took a deep breath, counting to ten in Croatian before looking at her again, "You are the worst." He knew that she will only be dramatic about it later if he doesn't, but she will most definitely tease him if he DOES. Was this what it's like to have a little sister? Flynn wondered as he gave Jiya a quick kiss on the crown of her head.

"Why thank you, kind sir!" Jiya said with a slight push, forcing him to move away from the team.

A look at the other two showed an amused Lucy looking at Jiya's camera with Rufus. He hadn't heard the camera snap. He glared at all of them before discreetly making his way outside to deal with the goons.

It was deathly quiet for what felt like far too long.

Lucy slapped her hand over her mouth as the first shots rang out.

She knew Flynn would fight tooth and nail to protect them, and some days he seemed invincible, but she feared the day Rittenhouse finally got to him.

She couldn't do this without him. She'd known that for a long time. And with every shot she heard she had to believe it wasn't fatal, for Flynn at least.

Then it got quiet again. No more shots, not even any yelling.

All they heard was scraping as someone came to the door.

It started to swing open and Jiya raised her gun. 

A man she didn't recognize stood at the threshold and she fired off two shots, both hitting their target. The man slumped over, dead.

"Where the hell’s Flynn?" Rufus stage whispered.

"I'll go find out." Jiya said as she stood, just as they all heard another shot ring out from just past their range of sight.

Jiya was quick to make her way outside. There were more Rittengoons laying dead on the ground than she had anticipated. An ambush, maybe?

She was going around the cabin when a hand suddenly appeared and grabbed the gun from her hands and she let out a scream as she instinctively kicked out.

"JIYA!" Flynn grunted as he fell to his knees, grabbing his crotch.

Jiya's eyes widened in shock, "My God, Flynn! I'm sorry, I was trying to save you!"

"From having more kids?" His voice was strained as he tried to breathe. 

Jiya let out a relieved laugh as Flynn continued to writhe and (likely) swear colorfully in Croatian. "You may thank me, down the line."

He gave her a mock-glare before lying on his side. "I'd commend you on your kick, but I hate you at the moment. We're clear, by the way." He lapsed into grunting and trying to relieve the pain.

"I didn't doubt that, though one kinda got past you."

"I know you had it."

Gruff as it sounded, Jiya couldn't help the warmth she felt at hearing his words. "Thanks!" A beat. "You done writhing in agony now?"

"You kicked me...really hard." He says, breathing through the pain.

"Want me to get Lucy to kiss it better?" Jiya smiles.

"Kiss what better?" Lucy asks as she and Rufus round the corner to see Flynn on the ground and Jiya standing over him.

Flynn felt his face heating up and all he wanted was for the ground to open up and swallow him. This day couldn't get any worse.

_ CLICK. CLICK. _

Flynn let out a long-suffering sigh as he raised his head. Rufus had the camera and was capturing everything. Lucy gave him a sympathetic smile.

Flynn was going to kill Jiya first for doing this to him and laughing. Then Rufus for collecting evidence of this heinous crime. One chuckle out of Lucy and she'll be put on the list.

He looked again and he could see Lucy silently giggling. It was cute… Okay, maybe she won't go on the list.

They made their way back to the Lifeboat, Flynn limping the entire way. It was another successful mission, well, in that Rittenhouse's plans were scuttled and none of the team died.

"So..." Jiya asked as they buckled in. "Do we need to pretend that you're limping because of a Rittengoon and not because... you know?"

Flynn chuckled. "I wanna see the look on Wyatt's face when he realizes you could have easily killed me while he never got close."

Jiya snorted and Rufus had to wait for his laughter to die down before he could pilot the ship.

When they returned, the look on Wyatt's face was indeed priceless. The man tried to spout some excuses, but it all dissolved into laughter.

Flynn made himself comfortable on the sofa with an ice pack. Lucy came by a short while later with some beers.

"’You doing okay?" she asked him.

"I've had worse." He shrugged but gratefully took the beer.

"It is true." She got comfortable beside him. "How about we watch a movie?"

He moved to make things more comfortable, and possibly snuggle closer not that he'd admit that out loud. But the ice pack was already melting and he didn't realize there was a tear in it.

Flynn cursed as the cold liquid leaked out right onto his trousers, starting to soak through quickly. He ended up spilling his beer, Lucy's too, in his attempt to grab it before more damage was done. Lucy tried to help... somehow.

_ Click _

Jiya snickered as she showed the image to Rufus.

"You realize that makes them look like... you know..."

"Yup." Jiya grinned. That one was a keeper.


	16. The Room Where It Happened: Hamilton! Act 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [#FlynnFriday imagine](https://twitter.com/thalia_msr/status/1281465374433775616): Rufus hacks into Disney+ in order to watch the Hamilton musical in the Bunker with the rest of the team. Hilarity and singing ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Usual disclaimer applies, i.e., this story borrowed lines from the songs of the musical.

"Isn't this a bit excessive for movie night?"

Wyatt looked about in the common area. The rest of the team were rearranging their vintage furnishings to accommodate a large projector screen in front of their TV.

"See, that's where you're wrong," Jiya countered, helping Flynn move the couch. "This isn't just ANY movie."

"It's THE movie not all people could get tickets for, and could only watch through bootleg. Until now," Lucy put in, placing a huge bucket of popcorn on the coffee table.

Wyatt's mind was still drawing a blank. "... they're bringing Titanic back?"

Various sounds of surprise and disgust erupted.

"That's a little disquieting," Jiya said, eyeing Wyatt with vague suspicion. It was okay if he wasn't a theater buff, but he couldn't be _that_ clueless.

"I don't watch a lot of movies, okay?" Wyatt tried to defend himself.

"Well, it's not technically a movie," Lucy pointed out.

"What does that mean?" Wyatt asked.

Rufus was running cables seemingly everywhere. "Yo, Flynn, come over here and be tall."

Flynn made a face but went over and helped Rufus by connecting a cable to another just inside the ceiling. The step ladder had left Rufus a tad short.

"Alright!" Rufus clapped his hands. "We are now wired for optimal sound. It'll be like we were in the room where it happened."

"I wanna be in the room where it happened!" Jiya lightly sang. "The room where it happened, the room where it happened."

"Wait." The blood drained from Wyatt's face. "This is that musical, isn't it?"

The team just watched Wyatt as he rolled his eyes, before giving an even bigger sigh. "I've seen it." He muttered, annoyed.

"Live?" Lucy asked, curiously.

"Yeah. Dave forced me to go see it with him. Said he needed me to leave my house for something other than to go to a bar."

Wyatt gave Connor a sidelong glance when he cleared his throat.

"We're talking about the Hamilton musical, right?" Rufus clarified.

Wyatt once again rolled his eyes. "Yes. That one. It was...okay, I guess."

"Ok? It's one of the most entertaining musicals I've seen in a long time." Lucy argued, annoyed that Wyatt was so blah about it all.

"Huh. Didn't your historian Spidey senses tingle because it's historically inaccurate?" Wyatt questioned, his fingers wiggling to indicate said tingling senses.

"At first, it sort of did," Lucy confessed with a shrug. "But my fascination for the use of hip-hop to tell the story of one of the founding fathers won out. And I found myself really enjoying it."

Jiya's face was practically beaming at this. "No way! Didn't think you'd be interested in hip-hop."

"Same," Wyatt chimed. "Though I shouldn't be too surprised. She did want to ditch college to form a rock band."

Lucy slapped his arm on reflex. She wasn't so upset with him for revealing it to the others, but the mental image that she associated with that part of her past—dark makeup, ripped jeans and leather outfit—was something she wanted to strike from her memory permanently.

Wyatt's revelation had different reactions from her teammates, however. Jiya's smile threatened to split her face, Rufus looked like she just hung the moon, Connor raised an amused brow, and Flynn... well, he had this soft, fond look about him that she didn't want to dwell too much on.

"A historian rebel without a cause," Rufus uttered in a hushed tone.

Lucy side-eyed him. "Hush, you." She gave him a playful poke. "So, are we watching this, or are we watching this?"

Rufus and Jiya had placed pillows and a few blankets on the floor to make up for the lack of seats available. They quickly took their spots, leaning back against the coffee table.

Wyatt and Connor each took an armchair, trying their best to get as comfy as possible. While Lucy and Flynn took the couch, her feet landing on Flynn's lap for the best position.

Once everyone was settled with bowls of popcorn distributed, Rufus pressed play. He felt Jiya buzzing with excitement beside him and he smiled down at her. "Excited, much?"

"I might get really annoying." She blushed.

"Too late." Wyatt commented, but tried to apologize when he got five glares aimed his way, "I'll shut up now."

Just in time, too, as the iconic Disney castle was shown with an obvious Hamilton remix to its music.

"Alexander Hamilton" started, the song setting the stage for the musical. Jiya started to snap her fingers along with it, trying not to actually sing. She would eventually fail.

Wyatt leaned forward and squinted his eyes at the screen.

"What?" Lucy asked.

"Shouldn't there be more singers?" he asked in return.

"What do you mean?" 

"I wasn't really paying attention at the beginning the first time," he explained. "But I'm pretty sure there are more characters than this. Why would they only put a few in the opening act?"

Lucy and Jiya glanced at each other, Jiya stifling a laugh.

"You didn't realize that several of them play dual roles?" Lucy asked.

Wyatt did a double take. "What?"

"Ah, well, for example, Lafayette and Jefferson are played by the same person."

"You didn't notice that?" Rufus asked him. Wyatt refused to answer.

Flynn snorted. "Delta Force." 

Wyatt threw a pillow at Flynn. “We all can’t be Broadway nerds, guys,” he said with a laugh, then looked around in amusement as every one of his teammates was picking up the intensity of the finger snaps, and then they all, Wyatt included, belted out as one:

_‘Alexander Hamilton._

_My name is Alexander Hamilton_

_And there's a million things I haven't done_

_But just you wait, just you wait.’_

Phillipa Soo’s first lines of the play were drowned out by the general uproar that ensued following Wyatt’s quivering “just you way-hate,” and Jiya had to pound on Rufus’s back as the love of her life had inhaled a fair amount of beer; he was laughing so hard. 

“Wyatt, what the fuck _-cough-cough_ ,” Rufus couldn’t even begin to pull himself together to properly make fun of Wyatt for knowing not just the words, but also how Lin Manuel Miranda has sung them. Tears streaming down his face, he looked over at the couch hoping Flynn could take the baton, but realized in dismay that wasn’t happening any time soon as Flynn had collapsed in laughter directly on top of Lucy, also laughing hysterically, so the two were just a messy pile of laughter on the couch. Rufus did manage to poke Jiya and point at the two hesitant lovebirds before his throat again protested in his next fit of coughing. Jiya just raised one eyebrow and smiled knowingly, her slaps to Rufus’s back hitting his head.

"That was"—Connor briefly choked on a popcorn that went down the wrong pipe. Rufus leaned over to thump him in the back. "That was... a version."

"For an 'okay musical,' it seemed to have stuck in your head," Lucy teased Wyatt once she could breathe again.

"Can I help it if I can practically hear it anywhere in the few years after—"

Jiya shushed them as the song was nearing its peak.

They managed to get ahold of themselves before _Aaron Burr_ started.

In unison they sang, _"1776, New York City."_

"I'm totally announcing our jump destinations that way from on," Jiya declared.

"1937. Ne-ew Jersey," Rufus tried and shook his head.

"1865. Wash-ton DC," Lucy had to drop a syllable and blanched.

"1836. San Antonio," Wyatt tried.

"See, that worked!" Jiya pointed at him and everyone laughed again.

They were trying some more missions when Lucy realized Flynn had gone a bit quiet.

"Flynn?" Lucy nudged him slightly.

He was listening to the song.

_‘God, I wish there was a war_

_Then we could prove that we're worth more than anyone bargained for’_

Of course... Flynn had fought in his own country's war of independence. And he would have been just a bit younger than Hamilton would be at this point in the musical.

"I knew types like him," Flynn quietly answered her unspoken question.

Lucy sat up straight, forcing him to sit up as well. He was disappointed in the change, but held back a smile when she leaned her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his right one.

She had her legs curled up and resting almost on his lap. He leaned his head on top of hers as they watched the flawless transition into _My Shot_.

_‘Hey yo, I'm just like my country_

_I'm young, scrappy and hungry_

_And I'm not throwing away my shot_

_I'ma get a scholarship to King's College_

_I prob'ly shouldn't brag, but dag, I amaze and astonish’_

Rufus rapped and everyone cheered him on, Jiya dancing next to him with a huge smile.

"We should do this more." Lucy muttered to Flynn.

"Watch musicals?"

"Have… family time."

Flynn slowly nodded as he looked around at the team. Everyone was relaxed and having fun. The alarms could go off at any moment and yet here they were. Making the most of it.

"What a strange family we have." He rolled his eyes at Wyatt's attempt to sound French for Lafayette's bit in the song.

"Strange but good." Lucy says leaning more into him.

Flynn held back his sarcastic reply and smiled.

The music suddenly shifted as the song foreshadowed the tragic end...

_‘I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory_

_When's it gonna get me?_

_In my sleep, seven feet ahead of me?’_

Flynn's smile dropped.

He glanced over at Wyatt who had also suddenly lost his mirth.

_‘If I see it comin', do I run or do I let it be?_

_Is it like a beat without a melody?’_

Lucy remembered the Alamo. And Wyatt's confession that he took the job because he figured it was a suicide mission.

Flynn hadn't been much better in those early days.

_‘See, I never thought I'd live past twenty_

_Where I come from some get half as many_

_Ask anybody why we livin' fast and we laugh, reach for a flask_

_We have to make this moment last, that's plenty.’_

Lucy was suddenly angry on behalf of her friends and the man she...

A happy moment ruined by wars both long past and at their very door. She hugged Flynn a little tighter, letting her know that she was there. She was real. This was real.

_‘I'm laughin' in the face of casualties and sorrow_

_For the first time, I'm thinkin' past tomorrow’_

"Are you thinking about tomorrow?" she asked him quietly.

Flynn looked down at her and swallowed. Yes, he thought, and he hadn't realized he had so much faith. In this team. In the possibility of a better future. All because of her.

"Only because of you." He answered and it was more telling than he intended for it to be, but he didn't regret his words or try to downplay them.

Lucy smiled up at him and they stared at each other for a long moment. Just smiling at each other.

Interrupted only when Rufus and Jiya suddenly stand up with their cups raised.

_‘I may not live to see our glory_

_I may not live to see our glory_

_But I will gladly join the fight_

_But I will gladly join the fight_

_And when our children tell our story_

_And when our children tell our story_

_They'll tell the story of tonight’_

Connor and Wyatt joined them on the next bit, cups raised above their heads and smiles on their faces.

_‘Raise a glass to freedom_

_Something they can never take away_

_No matter what they tell you_

_Raise a glass to the_ **_six_ ** _of us’_

Rufus sang and Flynn passed Lucy her cup so they could join in for the next lyric,

_‘Tomorrow there'll be more of us_

_Telling the story of tonight.’_

It's a call to arms, Flynn thought of them singing this song. A reflection of their war against Rittenhouse.

Who knew they could relate to the Hamilton musical so much?

Flynn doubted they’d get many moments like this as they continue to chase after Rittenhouse, but he'll remember this night.

The beat shifted and Aaron Burr sang the opening bars to the Schuyler sisters song. 

_“Which sister are you?”_

_“Angelica. Natch.”_

Lucy was suddenly transported back to the dimly lit theater beside Amy, her sister's question and her glib reply echoing in her ears.

She didn’t have time to replay the memory as Jiya pulled Lucy towards her, seemingly intent to reenact the scene playing out before them.

"You are so Angelica," Jiya enthused.

Lucy managed a smile despite her prickling eyes.

Seeing Hamilton on Broadway with Amy, just a few months after it had premiered, had been an unforgettable experience for Lucy. 

All tears were forgotten, however, as Angelica belted out, _“I’m lookin' for a mind at work!”_

Lucy could relate. She’d been looking for a mind to equal her own for as long as she could remember. It wasn’t arrogance, it was just that she didn’t want to settle and—

“Work, work!” She stared as Flynn was shaking his shoulders next to her, channeling his inner Destiny’s Child as he sang out in an awkward falsetto with the Schuyler sisters.

Lucy’s mouth fell open, and she could see several other mouths following suit in her peripheral vision. She started to smile at Flynn’s enthusiasm, but then Aaron Burr’s smarminess made her glare at the screen. But Angelica nailed it with her response to the man:

“You want a revolution? I want a revelation!” The words escaped from Lucy’s lips as she looked over at Flynn again, eyeing him up and down as she sang, and she stuttered the next lines when she saw the Look on his face. 

She blushed. Damn the man. He knows he’s a damn revelation to her.

Flynn tugged Lucy back down on the couch next to him. Partly because he wanted to wrap his arm around her, which he did, and also because she and Jiya were standing directly in front of the screen.

She blushed again as she leaned close to his ear and whispers the next lyric, 

_‘Look around, look around at how_

_Lucky we are to be alive right now!’_

Flynn gave her a small smile in return. He wanted to kiss her, but he pushed that thought away almost as quickly as he thought it. He turned his attention back to Jiya, who had the choreography down to a T.

Flynn turned back to Lucy to exchange impressed looks before they drag Jiya and Rufus—who was playing Peggy to Jiya's Eliza/Angelica hybrid when Lucy sat down—to sit back down.

As _Farmer Refuted_ began, Wyatt turns to the others. "Nobody taking this?"

Jiya waved him off.

"Eh. We'll need a break for the next bit."

Rufus pointed at his mentor. "Connor is TOTALLY going to do King George!" he exclaimed imperially.

Connor Mason's eyes bugged out, sputtering. "I will do no such thing! I don't even know the lines!"

"Lies!" It was Jiya's turn to point at Connor, just as Rufus and Lucy chimed in with—

" _Silence! A message from the King!_ " they sang as they gestured for Connor to stand. He hemmed and hawed.

_‘A message from the King!’_

Wyatt helped by pushing Connor to stand. As he did, Jiya handed him a long handle wrench while Rufus plopped a bowler hat on his head. The others whooped in delight.

_‘A message from the Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!’_

"You came prepared," Connor noted sotto voce with a narrow glare at Rufus, who responded with a shit-eating grin.

"Wanker."

The team couldn’t tell if Connor’s hesitation had been shyness at performing or simply that he didn’t know the lyrics, but as he set his face to a look of determination and belted out:

_‘You say the price of my love's not a price that you're willing to pay’_

They had their answer.

“Connor what the fff...??” Rufus sputtered as Jiya’s look of delighted surprise encouraged the billionaire to continue.

_‘You cry in your tea which you hurl in the sea when you see me go by.’_

Lucy and Flynn’s faces came close to mirroring Jiya’s, but Wyatt somehow looked pleased? Knowing? Proud?

Rufus couldn’t tell what was running through Wyatt’s head as he watched his friend’s face, but he didn’t seem surprised. He watched Wyatt nod as Connor hit the high note of “Empires FALL!” and now almost felt more shocked at Wyatt’s response than he did at Connor’s knowing every word and hitting every note

But after a string of “Da da da’s”, Rufus watched in utter confusion as Wyatt’s face, intent on Jonathan Groff’s King George III, assumed a look of panic. He yelled, “OHMYGOD, CONNOR, DON’T YOU SPIT LIKE THAT!”

All four stared, perplexed at Wyatt's bizarre statement, then jumped as both Connor and the King George on the screen yelled–

_‘NO!! DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT’_

–"Okay. Ew." Jiya grimaced at the screen. They were mercifully spared actual projectile from Connor.

_‘'Cause you're my favorite subject_

_My loyal royal subject_

_My sweet, submissive subject_

_Forever. And ever. And ever, and ever and eveeeeeeerrrrr…’_

"Wow. Mason even has the dead-eyed psycho stare down," Flynn commented.

Of course, Connor heard him and affixed said dead-eyed stare at him and pointed his wrench–scepter in Flynn's direction.

"No top-shelf _rakia_ for you," Connor says, breaking character. 

The music changed to the soft opening of _Right Hand Man_ as the room exploded into various degrees of annoyance and laughter.

"You really going to brandish that at me?" Flynn said, gesturing to the wrench-scepter.

"Fifty bucks on Mason in this fight," Wyatt called out.

"Wait, what?" Flynn looked over at the man.

"He's scrappy and you're too soft," Wyatt pointed out.

Flynn narrowed his eyes. "True, I should have killed you one of the twenty times I could have... easily..."

"Oh, hey!" Rufus shouted. "Geooooooorge Washington! A president Flynn didn't kill."

Flynn facepalmed.

Lucy patted Flynn on the shoulder and leaned her head against him to let him know they were just having a josh. Whatever happened in the past, he was part of their family now.

And family took the mick out of each other.

He started to laugh with them, wondering if this is what it would have been like growing up with his brother.

_‘Dying is easy, young man_

_Living is harder’_

The mirth suddenly drained from them.

Flynn and Wyatt looked at each other. The lyrics hit too many sore spots. Wyatt took a glance at the team while Flynn looked down at Lucy. They made eye contact again and nod. Both acknowledged that this band of misfits, their family, are the reason they fight to stay alive when dying would be a more welcome companion.

Lucy snuggled closer, pulling Flynn from his dark thoughts and they shared a quick smile. And for the second time today, he got the urge to kiss her. And again, he doesn't.

She makes him feel... happy, or as close to it as he's been since… since before Rittenhouse.

A pillow was suddenly thrown in his face and he looked down at the two on the floor, who were trying and failing to control their laughter.

A quick glance at the screen informed him that _A Winters Ball_ will start in a moment.

"Very funny," he grumbled.

"Well, stop giving Lucy heart eyes and enjoy the movie!" Jiya scolded him, but loses points as she had a megawatt smile.

He blushed as Lucy snorted with a shake of her head.

"Would you prefer me to give Wyatt heart eyes, then?" Connor asked with an exaggerated wink towards Wyatt.

Wyatt searched for any available pillow in his vicinity to throw at Connor, but they all seem to have been tossed at others. He huffed in feigned annoyance and muttered under his breath, “I knew I should never have agreed to be your singing coach, Mason.”

The group fell silent. A beer bottle clattered to the ground.

“Wyatt... what?” Lucy sputtered.

Wyatt ignored her and glared at Rufus and Jiya, who seemed to be gearing up for a grand response.

Jiya spoke first. “Singing coach?” she said weakly.

Rufus was next. “Wyatt, you couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket!” He seemed confused.

Jiya tried again. “What exactly are you coaching Connor on? What NOT to do?” She and Rufus collapsed in a fit of giggles.

Lucy and Flynn seemed to be trying very hard not to laugh out loud, Lucy biting her lip and Flynn burying his face in the pillow just thrown at him.

Wyatt expected them all to laugh a good long while at his expense, but was saved by Burr singing to Hamilton:

_‘We're reliable with the ladies!_

_There are so many to deflower!’_

Lucy and Jiya immediately stopped laughing and emitted sounds of disgust.

"What? Don't like that line?" Wyatt asked.

Jiya and Lucy gave him twin looks of annoyance. "No, Wyatt. We LOVE the line about deflowering women." Jiya's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Don't get so offended. That's just how they were back then. We've been to the past. You've seen it first hand." Wyatt said.

"Yeah! Their horniness was on sight during this time. You can't be upset about something that was considered normal back then." Rufus added, mouth full of popcorn.

Lucy looked at Flynn, expecting him to add his two cents in, but he wisely didn't.

Lucy squared her shoulders and fixed her hard gaze on Wyatt.

"The words we choose to describe the past have just as much impact on the present and future," she said point blank. "Lin-Manuel is an amazing poet. He can find other ways to get his point across instead of falling back on oppressive terminology which repeats the narrative that dehumanize women, turning them into passive objects that only exist to be taken by a man."

Wyatt had the sense to realize that whether or not he believed he was in the wrong, he should have kept his mouth shut. His keen sense of self-preservation kicked in at Lucy's steely gaze.

It got really quiet for a second.

_‘Ohh, I do, I do, I do, I doooo. Hey!’_

Lucy felt a tug on her hand.

"Hey." Flynn looks at her with soft entreaty and a hint of... awe?

"Battle for another time," he said gently, pulling at her hand to join him again on the couch.

She let out a long sigh, taking her simmering anger with it. And Flynn was right; she could have the discussion of ableist language with the guys for another time.

They all settled again as the ensemble sang the first verse of _Helpless_.

"D'ya think Lucy's the Eliza in this song?" Rufus asked Jiya in low tones, but it carried enough to teach Flynn's ears.

"Nah, it's definitely Flynn," Jiya answered. "Have you seen him make cow eyes at her?"

He felt Lucy stiffen beside him, but didn't dare look. He leaned close to the couple in front of them and flicked their ears instead.

"'Eliza' can hear you, you know," he retorted.

Jiya just smiled back at him over her shoulder, while Rufus just gave an annoyed look. "Don't be so sensitive, Flynn. It's a compliment."

Flynn rolled his eyes before making an effort NOT to put his arm back around Lucy. _To make a point_ , he thought as he listened to Eliza fall more in love with Hamilton. It's not until they reached the,

_‘Now my life gets better_

_Every letter that you write me.’_

-line that Flynn thought, _Yeah. Maybe I_ am _Eliza_. It wasn't so long ago when he fell in love with Lucy's words. Her journal really was his lifeline...

"Now that you mention it," Flynn pondered, a finger on his lip, "I **might** be able to pull off that dress. People said I look good in blue."

The sounds from the musical were momentarily drowned out by various sounds of disgust after Flynn's remark.

"Brain bleach! Brain bleeeeaaaachhh!" Rufus half-yelled, clawing at his head.

"Fuck, dude! Just—" Wyatt was shaking his head, an attempt to dislodge the mental image Flynn put there.

Flynn chanced a glance at Lucy. She was chortling, her nose wrinkled, but her eyes twinkle in obvious delight. She was looking at him while shaking her head, and it made his insides melt.

Wyatt watched as Flynn and Lucy stared at each other. It was almost annoying how absolutely enthralled they were with one another. He rolled his eyes at them. Helpless, indeed.

He turned back to the musical. _Satisfied_ was starting. He liked this song. He briefly wondered if Lucy felt connected to this song in any way. He knew he did. With how he acted towards both Jessica and Lucy. He felt horrible about it. Now, Jess was out there pregnant and wanting nothing to do with him, while Lucy was making heart eyes at Garcia fucking Flynn.

_‘I remember that night, I just might_

_Regret that night for the rest of my days'_

Wyatt couldn't count on one hand all the nights that this lyric rang true to.

The night his men died so he could live.

The night he left Jessica on the road.

Even the night he took this assignment.

One mistake after another. 

Rufus had said what was the point of having a time machine if you couldn't fix your regrets.

Well, every time Wyatt tried he just made things worse.

He lost both Jessica and Lucy. But, at least, Lucy is still in his life. He should let himself be satisfied with her being his friend.

He should.

Lucy watched the changing emotions flit across Wyatt’s face. Angelica had just sung about regret, and the line seems to really hit a nerve with her one-time lover. She sighed as she shifted to find a more comfortable position on the couch. Regret’s a bitch. She hoped Wyatt could find peace with his. She briefly wondered if he had any regret about their own complicated relationship. 

Flynn moved to allow her to find a more comfortable position against him just at the moment Angelica began to rap to Alexander, 

_‘I'll never forget the first time I saw your face_

_I have never been the same_

_Intelligent eyes in a hunger-pang frame’_

and Lucy was brought back to her very first encounter with Flynn at the Hindenburg. She realized that nothing has ever changed her life quite as dramatically as this man currently pressed into her side.

And as Angelica went on to lament losing Alexander romantically, while still being grateful “at least I keep his eyes in my life,” Lucy realized she never wanted to feel that way, to feel regret for what could have been with this man who turned her life upside down.

Flynn felt Lucy staring at him and he looked down at her, a confused smirk making its way on his face as he asked, "What?"

Lucy just smirked back, resolved. She _wanted_ to do this. Wanted to tell him what he meant to her. But not here. Not now. "I'll tell you later."

Flynn narrowed his eyes a bit, but nodded anyway. Still confused, but trusting Lucy. "Is everything okay? Are you comfortable?" He went to lift his arm off of her, wrongly assuming that he was the problem.

But Lucy was quick to latch onto his arm and keep it around her. "I'm very comfortable. I wouldn't want to leave if I had the chance."

Flynn blushed at the intensity in her eyes and looked away, a silent chuckle leaving his lips as he glanced at the TV. "Don't be so dramatic, Professor. You can use me as a pillow all you want." He shut his eyes tight at his words.

Stupid! _Why did I say THAT?!?_ he asked himself.

Lucy giggled next to him and it was a cute sound. But it drew attention from Jiya, who just smirked at what he assumed was his red face.

"I'll have to take you up on that offer. To use you as a pillow." Lucy's blush caused him to blush. Again.

The _Story of Tonight_ reprise came on and Lucy and Jiya did synchronized eye rolls at the commentary that getting married was the end of a man's freedom and all that jazz.

She loved the musical, but between this and the historical issues...

"Problematic fave." Flynn said, as if he was reading her mind.

"I believe that's the term, yes," she laughed lightly. "Nothing is perfect. Everything has its own flaws and scars. But we can still love them while recognizing those scars exist."

She had seen all of Flynn's scars...

Flynn gave her a look. Like he didn't exactly understand what she was trying to say to him. And she found the expression on his face adorable.

"Right." Flynn said and turned back in time to hear the tempo change to _Wait For It._ One of his favorites from the musical.

He sucked in an involuntary gasp as he felt Lucy's hand on his abdomen, where a large scar was. He looked down at her again. It looked like so many words were trapped behind her dark eyes, as if asking him to unlock them. 

Lucy’s touch combined with the haunting melodies on screen created an almost otherworldly experience for Flynn. 

_‘Love doesn't discriminate_

_Between the sinners_

_And the saints’_

Flynn’s eyes flickered over to Wyatt, who seemed to have been blessed by love these last few months.

Despite the many errors of his ways, Wyatt had found... something... with Lucy, followed by the return of the love of his life, Jessica. Flynn had to wonder, how does love decide who to bless and who to turn its back on?

_‘It takes and it takes and it takes_

_And we keep loving anyway’_

Poor Wyatt had lost both of the women he loved, or thought he loved. 

Flynn then focused his attention on Lucy, as the lyrics seemed to shift to what he feels for her: 

_‘We laugh and we cry and we break_

_And we make our mistakes’_

He cringed remembering his many missteps with Lucy. Lincoln. Stranding her in the past. Presuming to know her because of her journal. Yet here he was, sitting beside her. 

_‘And if there's a reason I'm by her side_

_When so many have tried_

_Then I'm willing to wait for it._

_I'm willing to wait for it.’_

He smiled. Lucy is worth waiting for. He won’t rush into something with her like Wyatt had, forcing a romance without first cultivating the friendship. 

He was willing to wait for her.

‘ _My mother was a genius_

_My father commanded respect_

_When they died they left no instructions_

_Just a legacy to protect’_

Flynn's heart was gripped like a vise. No matter how many times he heard the song, those lyrics always seemed to sneak up on him and drive an ice cold dagger into his heart.

Maria had been a genius and his father a good man who was a pillar of his community. And Flynn had lost them so long ago, when he wasn't really an adult yet, not truly, and so he felt lost for so long.

Going from one war to the next until he found Lorena.

And had Iris.

_‘Death doesn't discriminate_

_Between the sinners_

_and the saints’_

His little girl had only been five years old.

_‘It takes and it takes and it takes_

_And we keep living anyway’_

There was a time he didn't want to keep living.

Lucy found him, gave him her journal. Gave him the keys to saving his family, one day, somehow, some way.

_‘We rise and we fall_

_And we break_

_And we make our mistakes’_

So many things that Flynn regrets, so many mistakes he made in trying to stop Rittenhouse and bring his family back.

_‘And if there's a reason I'm still alive_

_When everyone who loves me has died’_

There had to be a reason. He had to stop Rittenhouse. He had to save them...

_‘I am the one thing in life I can control! (Wait for it, Wait for it)_

_(Wait for it, Wait for it) I am inimitable, I am an original’_

Lucy sang along at this point and agreed with the lyrics. She knew that she couldn't control what happens with Rittenhouse or even with the team, but she could control herself and that was something she valued most about working with these misfits. When she was captured by Rittenhouse, they tried to control her, shape her into what _they_ wanted. Like how her mother always did.

She should have seen the similarities sooner. Maybe if she had, she never would have gotten taken. Maybe her mother would still be alive.

_‘We rise and we fall and we break_

_We fall and we make our mistakes’_

_True,_ Lucy thought. This team has taken its share of headache and mistakes. And betrayal. A glance at Wyatt showed him deep in thought. She figured he must be thinking along the same line as her.

His mistakes caused the most heartaches amongst the team. He'd only just gotten back into their good graces. He was trying to redeem himself and Lucy was willing to bet that he was building up to actually talking to her about how he treated her. He was starting small with Connor, Rufus, and Denise. He was currently trying his best to get Jiya to like him again.

Lucy was willing to wait for their inevitable conversation. Everything was still too raw for her at the moment.

The tense melody of _Stay Alive_ filtered through the speakers, as Hamilton and Washington discuss strategy. The tension builds as the people on the stage as plans are made and orders are carried out, and—

"Is it just me, or is there something between Hamilton and Laurens that we don't know about?" Jiya piped up suddenly, turning to Lucy, a twinkle in her eye.

Lucy blinked, caught off-guard by Jiya's question. "... not that I can recall?" She hated missing tiny details in history that informed a person's actions, so it annoyed her a little that she couldn't.

"Maybe it's just Lin Manuel's natural magnetism." Wyatt said, causing everyone to look at him in a weird way. "What? I know words." He pouted before burrowing further into his seat.

"We are learning so much about you, Wyatt." Connor commented, impressed.

"You should know by now that I'm full of surprises." Wyatt smirked proudly.

"Do you two need a room? Or can we watch this musical without the homoerotic undertones?" Rufus quipped.

Jiya and Lucy both smack Rufus. One on the arm, the other on the head. "OUCH!"

"Look at Hamilton and Laurens. There's OBVIOUSLY homoerotic undertones going on here," Jiya said before giving an over-the-top wink at Wyatt.

Wyatt just rolled his eyes and mumbled to himself.

Flynn stood up at that moment and retreated to the kitchen, fetching more beers and sodas for the group. He sat back down just as the next song came on: _Ten Duel Commandments._

"They should bring duels back. It seemed like such a good time." Wyatt comments.

Flynn rolled his eyes, "You'd have been killed long ago if that were the case then, Wyatt. You're not exactly a ray of sunshine."

Wyatt glared at him.

"I am a pretty damn good shot, though," Wyatt defended himself.

"Wasn't it your whole mission to shoot me?" Flynn asked as he passed around the drinks.

"I did shoot you," the man countered as the song counted down. "First mission. I shot you without harming Lucy. And that was intentional."

"And after that?" Flynn asked with a smirk.

"Dude," Rufus laughed as he opened his beer. "How could you miss him? He's a fucking oak."

"More like a redwood," Jiya said with some semblance of authority. "They're taller than oaks."

"But are they skinny?" he asked.

"I dunno." Jiya pulled out her phone. "Let me check."

Flynn about facepalmed but he was getting used to it. Instead, he turned back to Wyatt. "You got lucky once, but we all know you're more likely to throw away your shot."

He said it because he was caught up in the lyrics.

But just like the musical, the lyric wasn't just about duels and guns... but also about chances and life choices. Wyatt understood that; he may not be as "cultured" as the others but it wasn't like the musical was trying to be subtle.

All the mistakes he had made, all the times he threw away what he had because he fucked up... with Jess, with Lucy, with the team...

It all weighed on that sentence and it brought Wyatt to his feet.

"You wanna go, big man?" Wyatt leveled a steely gaze. "Ten paces, up top."

Flynn gave him a bored look. "Wyatt, I'm not dueling you."

"Cause you know I'd win!"

Flynn sighed , "No, Wyatt. The only reason you didn't shoot Lucy was because I tossed her out of the way. I didn't think you'd shoot, but you did and I had to protect her."

Wyatt's nose flared up in anger, "I—"

"Would have killed Lucy, yes." Flynn interrupts, eyes narrowing. "And believe me, if you had, you DEFINITELY would not be alive right now because I would have torn you apart."

Wyatt looked from a pissed off Flynn to a shocked Lucy and back. "I knew where I was aiming."

"No, Wyatt. You didn't care. You wanted the mission completed and didn't care who would have gotten hurt in the process."

It was quiet for a moment, nothing but the musical making noise.

_‘Can we agree that duels are dumb and immature?_

_Sure’_

The fight suddenly left Wyatt as he breathed out. He was trying to be better, he reminded himself. Because the truth was… he didn’t care back then.

"Sorry..." He muttered as he walked to the kitchen.

Flynn felt only slightly guilty for calling him out in front of the team, but he wasn't in the mood to deal with Wyatt's fragile feelings. He felt Lucy's hand wrap around his bicep and he relaxed a little. "Can we just enjoy the musical?" He said loud enough to carry into the kitchen.

"Sure." Wyatt answered. He got to work making another batch of popcorn. He'll make some for Lucy and Flynn.

 _Meet Me Inside_ played and the intensity of it didn't do much to quell the tension in the room. 

Flynn sat back down with Lucy and couldn't quite seem to get as comfortable with her as before. But then, that was more about himself than her.

The song changed, Eliza now pregnant.

Flynn remembered leaving on a mission that took him away for three months. He knew Lorena was expecting, but when he returned... the sight of her, carrying their little Iris...

_‘Look around, look around at how lucky we are_

_To be alive right now’_

It just wasn't fair.

Lucy glanced at Flynn, knowing the song was affecting him, and her heart broke to see him rubbing his eyes as Eliza sang to Alexander, _‘And if this child shares a fraction of your smile…’_ She remembered when he told her about Iris’s big open smile, making it clear it was a feature she got from her father. She sighed. Life really had been awful to Flynn. 

Her heart beating faster, she knew she couldn’t do nothing, and sliding her small hand into his much larger one, she gave it a squeeze. 

He didn’t look at her, but he grasped her hand in response, and she thought that maybe, just maybe, she could be enough for him. 

_‘Let this moment be the first chapter_

_Where you decide to stay_

_And I could be enough.’_

Lucy leaned her head on his shoulder again and Flynn felt bold enough to lift her feet and place it on his lap. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and possibly cuddle. He needed a hug. He missed his girls and he wanted to cry. But he couldn't. Not here. Not now.

He wished he took Wyatt up on his offer to duel. At least it would have allowed him to skip this song.

Lucy nuzzled ever closer and from the corner of her eye she could see Jiya giving her a subtle thumbs up. She rolled her eyes at the younger woman, but an amused smile graced her lips.

 _"[Ti si više nego dovoljan](%20)," _ Flynn murmured into her hair as the final notes of the song played. He wasn't sure if he could tell her, doubted if _he_ was even a fraction of being enough for Lucy...

_‘How does a ragtag volunteer army in need of a shower_

_Somehow defeat a global_ _superpower?'_

"Guns and Ships! Guns and Ships!" Jiya was excitedly tugging Rufus' sleeve, so enthusiastically that it looked like she was intent to rip his arm off.

"I can't spit bars that fast!" Rufus reasoned.

"Do iiiiiiiiiiiittt."

Lafayette burst onto the stage and Rufus started moving to the beat.

_‘I'm taking this horse by the reins_

_Making redcoats redder with bloodstains’_

Rufus manically tried to keep up, surprising himself at how well he was doing.

"Rufus!" Jiya sings loudly over the next Lafayette.

_‘And I'm never gonna stop until I make 'em drop_

_And burn 'em up and scatter the remains_

_I'm—Lafayette!’_

Rufus was totally rocking out now as everyone cheered him on. 

_‘Watch me engaging 'em, escaping 'em, enraging 'em, ow’_

Then Rufus channeled his inner Lando Calrissian.

_‘I go to France for more funds_

_I come back with more guns’_

Rufus was all suave and everyone burst out in laughter as the song slowed down to Lafayette and Washington.

Popcorn got thrown around as Rufus continued to mimic Lafayette.

But then the song slowed down again...

_‘I was younger than you are now_

_When I was given my first command_

_I led my men straight into a massacre_

_I witnessed their deaths firsthand’_

Flynn suddenly became uncomfortable and Lucy felt his arm tense around her as _History Has Its Eyes On You_ went on.

_‘Let me tell you what I wish I'd known_

_When I was young and dreamed of glory_

_You have no control_

_Who lives, who dies, who tells your story.’_

"Are you okay?" She whispered.

Flynn turned his face towards her and gave her a tight smile. "This song… Brings back memories."

"Good or bad?"

"Both. From war."

Lucy leaned her head back on his shoulder, hoping to give him some comfort. She felt more than heard him chuckle.

"It's not an entirely horrible feeling, Lucy. It's a good reminder that I, and many of my fellow soldiers, made it home safe..."

His voice broke a little on the word safe, no doubt remembering how unsafe home turned out to be.

"We'll make it out of this one safe, too." Lucy stated, her voice strong with determination.

Flynn smirked at her, "Aren't I supposed to be the one that reassures you of that?"

"Except for when I have to return the favor." She smirked back at him, a twinkle in her eye.

Flynn felt an urge to kiss her, but didn't fight it this time. He leaned down and pressed his lips gently against her cheek, lingering longer than necessary, before pulling away.

Lucy blushed at the contact, but smiled when she noticed that Flynn was just as red. He smiled back.

"That was… nice." she said, immediately kicking herself.

It felt like forever before his brain restarted and finally registered Lucy's words. He gave her a lip twitch of a smile, unsure if he could cobble words together.

They were grinning dopily at one another even as _Yorktown_ started to play, and Lafayette and Hamilton reunite on stage.

_'Immigrants - we get the job done'_

"Hells yeah!" Jiya exclaimed, high-fiving Connor, then yanked a still-rebooting Flynn's arm up to high-five it.

_‘I imagine death so much, it feels more like a memory_

_This is where it gets me, on my feet the enemy ahead of me’_

Lucy tried not to tense as this stanza is sung out.

_‘If this is the end of me, at least I have a friend with me_

_Weapon in my hand, a command, and my men with me’_

She looked around at 'her command' because that was really how everyone looked at her. The leadership role didn't always come easy to her, but this rag-tag group in need of another shower in the bunker were her friends. They trusted her to lead them to victory. 

Her weapon? Her knowledge of history and her compassion.

_‘Then I remember my Eliza's expecting me_

_Not only that, my Eliza's expecting_

_We gotta go, gotta get the job done_

_Gotta start a new nation, gotta meet my son!’_

Lucy looked to Flynn, ready to comfort him if the song once again brought back troubling memories and opened old wounds.

But instead, he looked pensive.

_‘Take the bullets out your gun! (What?)_

_The bullets out your gun! (What?)’_

"Clearly Lin-Manuel knows nothing about late 18th century guns," he groused.

Lucy tried to stifle a bark of laughter. Because, _of course_ Flynn would go there.

Connor heard Flynn's remark. "Care to share with the class?" he suggested.

Flynn waved at the screen. "They'd be using single breech loaders during this time."

Jiya and Rufus turned their heads, their expressions curious. 

"Flintlocks and muzzle loaders," Flynn added, as if it explained everything.

Wyatt shrugged. "So?"

When their other teammates met this information with still blank expressions, Lucy decided to jump in.

"Guys, their guns only have single bullets," she pointed out. "So the line should be 'take the _bullet_ '—singular—'out your gun'."

"Ah."

The three geniuses nodded. And while Rufus and Jiya shared a look, Connor shook his head at Lucy and Flynn's direction.

"You two are quite the peas in a pod, aren't you?" he remarked.

"Among other things," Rufus coughed into his hand. 

Flynn glared at Rufus, but kept his snark to himself. He didn't want to get upset with the genius and risk making Lucy uncomfortable.

"And what if we were?" Lucy asked.

Rufus snapped his head in her direction so fast there was a slight pop. "W-what?"

Lucy just snuggled closer to a blushing Flynn while Rufus's mouth dropped open at the implications.

Jiya and Connor tried to hold back their laughter at Flynn's red face, pretty sure he wasn't breathing. Wyatt just watched the interaction while munching on his popcorn.

"Can we get back to the musical?"

"Uh, yeah"—Flynn cleared his throat to cover the squeak that escaped his throat—"let's."

They all turn in time to hear Hamilton recounting their victory over the British.

_'The world turned upside-down_

_The world turned upside-down...'_

"The world turned upside-down," Jiya and Rufus sang along, even as Jiya wrinkled her nose at her boyfriend's more-than-slightly-off falsetto.

"Our world turned upside-down," Lucy joined in, softly. 

Flynn caught the glance she cast his way, flashing her a brief smile and letting her know the deliberate word change didn't escape him. Rittenhouse may have turned their world upside-down, but the team will sure as hell not let them succeed in doing the same to the rest of the actual world.

And he sure as hell will make sure he'll be by Lucy's side until they see Rittenhouse fall.

They all shouted out "We won! We won!" at the end, smiles on their faces. One day they would be able to shout that out regarding their own battles.

But for today they were together, having fun, the dysfunctional family that they were. And that counted as a win in their book.

The scene changed and King George came out to sing his interlude. Mason stood up and cleared his throat.

_‘They say_

_The price of my war's not a price that they are willing to pay_

_Insane’_

Mason over-exaggerated his moves, much to the joy of those watching who busted into even louder laughter.

_‘I thought that we made an arrangement when you went away_

_You were mine to subdue’_

Jiya started to laugh so hard she couldn't breathe. She laid back on a pillow with tears in her eyes. Rufus tended to her, teetering between being worried, and joining her.

"Ohmigod, Connor! Don't ever rule a country!" Lucy said in between giggles.

"Awesome! Wooow!" Connor shot her with a sassy eye-roll that sent the team into another bout of hysterics. Of course, the inventor took advantage of the timing.

"The next time the production needs a petulant mad king, we'll recommend you," Flynn quipped to Connor's retreating back, miming the on-screen King George's childish departure. 

"Go off, wanker."

Flynn's responding gasp and hand on his chest caused the team to laugh once again at his 'offended' expression. He was about to send a sarcastic comment Connor's way when the melody for _Dear Theodosia_ started and his breath caught in his throat.

The geniuses on the floor turned immediately, recognizing that this song might hit Flynn hard. Connor was also silent as he quietly munched on his popcorn.

_‘Dear Theodosia, what to say to you?_

_You have my eyes_

_You have your mother's name_

_When you came into the world, you cried and it broke my heart’_

Tears gathered in Flynn's eyes as he thought about Iris. His little girl with her vibrant green eyes. His eyes.

_‘I'm dedicating every day to you_

_Domestic life was never quite my style_

_When you smile, you knock me out, I fall apart_

_And I thought I was so smart’_

He remembered the first time Iris had smiled at him. She was barely a day old and her lips had twitched, but it was enough for him to wake Lorena up to share that exciting news.

He made a promise after that tiny little twitch. That he would do everything in his power to keep that smile, no matter how small, on her face.

But some promises were meant to be broken. No matter how unintentional.

He closed his eyes and felt a tear run down his face. He would have loved to have sung this to Iris as he put her to bed.

He felt Lucy's hand hesitantly reach for his and he opened his eyes to look at her. She was worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. He held her hand back to show that he appreciated the gesture.

"We'll get her back. All of them." she whispered, as if reading his mind.

He felt something loosen in his chest, as if a vise was strapped around his lungs and Lucy's words were the key that unlocked his ability to breathe again.

He took a deep breath and gave her a shaky smile. "I know." He then decided to be a little more truthful, "It… hurts less… when you're around. Thank you."

She just smiled back at him.

Seeing Flynn's miserable expression, Jiya stood up from her nest of cushions and perched herself on his unoccupied side. He had tracked her movements curiously, and stiffened when her arms went around him.

"You can adopt me, in the meantime," Jiya said in low tones, cheek mashed against his shoulder.

Flynn let out a stuttered breath. "I get a hug now?" was the measly reply he could force out of his throat.

Jiya shrugged. "Shut up. Better late than never."

He didn't answer, and patted her arm instead.

Flynn's gaze then happened to land on Rufus, who looked to be contemplating. And before he could open his mouth to protest whatever the genius had in mind, Rufus seemed to have come to a conclusion and crawled to them.

"What the hell. Creepy uncle group hug!" 

Flynn anticipated the hug, but not the emotions. More tears gathered as he sat still and allowed himself to be hugged by these people. His friends. His family.

Lucy had wrapped herself around his bicep. Connor joined in soon after, promoting Lucy to practically jump in Flynn's lap as everyone squeezed themselves onto the small couch.

Wyatt watched from his place on the beat-up chair. Not sure if he was invited to the group hug or not. So he stayed where he was. He caught Flynn's eye and gave him a brief nod, not willing to interrupt this particular bonding session.

_‘Someday, someday_

_Yeah, you'll blow us all away_

_Someday, someday’_

Wyatt caught the last few lines and briefly wondered about his own child and whether he'd be able to sing him or her this song when they arrived… if he ever got to meet them at all.

What would Jessica tell them about him? Will she let him see their child? Considering she was (still is?) Rittenhouse, it was highly unlikely.

He might not feel the anguish Flynn looked to be feeling, but Wyatt was certain there was a gaping maw in his heart that yearned for his unborn child.

"Hey."

The spiral of Wyatt's thoughts were derailed when Rufus called out softly. When he looked up, Rufus nodded to their hugging pile.

"Want in on the action?"

Wyatt couldn't help the quiet chuckle that escaped him. "Some other time," he said with a wink and a little salute with his beer bottle.

_‘After the war I went back to New York_

_A-After the war I went back to New York’_

Rufus quickly untangled himself from the group hug and pulled Jiya with him. "I finished up my studies and I practiced law."

"I practiced law, Burr worked next door." Jiya joined in.

Last song before intermission and Rufus wanted to cheer everyone up. He grabbed Connor's hand and practically tore his arm off yanking him into a standing position.

"I can do it sitting down, thank you." Connor scoffed.

"I'm sure you can." Wyatt said with an exaggerated wink.

Rufus stared at Wyatt while Jiya raised her eyebrows and shot him a friendly smile. After all this time, they were still learning things about Wyatt. 

_‘Why do you assume you’re the smartest in the room?’_

Flynn glanced at Lucy. He often felt this way until he moved into the bunker.

A small smile skirted Lucy’s lips. Smartest in the room, for sure. She had realized Flynn was a genius at the Hindenburg. And the fact he thought her equally as capable always brought a warm feeling to her belly. She hadn’t said as much to him, but when they were together, she felt they were unstoppable. Like defeating Rittenhouse was actually a possibility. 

She squeezed his hand again and rested her head on his shoulder.

_'Why do you write like you're running out of time?_

_Write day and night like you're running out of time?_

_Ev'ry day you fight, like you're running out of time_

_Keep on fighting in the meantime'_

Lucy found herself frowning. There was no doubt in her mind now that she was the author of the journal in Flynn's possession; she couldn't deny that anymore. It made her wonder why she wrote it in the first place. Does she need to write another one? And if so, when? Would their past Flynn need it? She'd need to ask Connor how time travel works.

All of this was just giving her a headache.

"You're thinking too loud," Flynn admonished quietly, his breath ruffling her hair gently. "We're supposed to be enjoying ourselves watching this."

"I know," she murmured. "it's just... the journal."

"Ah." That single syllable bore understanding, which Lucy appreciated. "We'll talk about the implications of you writing it, later. That is, if you want to..."

Hearing his words made her looming headache retreat somehow. She smiled to herself at the feeling of relief.

"Yeah, I'd like that." She snuggled closer against his shoulder.

"I would hope so. You promised me a conversation." Flynn smirked at her, reminding her of their chat some songs ago.

"I haven't forgotten. I'd much rather have that conversation than the journal one." Lucy admitted with a slight blush.

Flynn clicked his tongue and allowed a smirk to spread across his face. "Finally going to admit I'm more fun than Wyatt?"

"Yes. You've read my mind. How do you do it?" Lucy chuckled.

"I can hear you," Wyatt commented, annoyed.

"Shhh! We're listening to the musical." Flynn dismissed him, earning an eye roll.

The last song of the act continued with Angelica marrying a man who cannot match her intelligence, or Alexander’s. Lucy vowed to never settle for a man like this. Eliza sang to Hamilton.

“ _Look at where you are, Look at where you started_ ,” and Lucy smiled, drawing the obvious parallels to Flynn. 

_‘The fact that you're alive is a miracle._

_Just stay alive, that would be enough’_

She wanted to defeat Rittenhouse, but not if it meant losing the man she cares so much about. 

_‘And if your wife could share a fraction of your time,_

_If I could grant you peace of mind,_

_Would that be enough?’_

Lucy knew she’d never replace Flynn’s wife, but if she could anchor him and keep him safe through this war, perhaps it would be enough. 

She knew she told him she wanted to talk later, but she needed to let out some of her feelings now. Taking a deep breath, she leaned in to place a soft kiss on his cheek. 

Flynn has been pondering Eliza’s words. He had thought his life was over when his wife and daughter had been killed, but the kind, spirited, intelligent woman at his side saved him in more ways than one. He ducked his head to press a kiss to her head...

And instead found himself lightly kissing a pair of soft lips, that unbelievably, are kissing his. 

Both wanted to lean into the kiss, press harder and pull the other closer, but they are struck by the fact that the other person wasn't pulling away. Instead they softly lingered, delicately kissing in stark contrast to how they felt, their emotions wild and contained only by the fear that one wrong move and not only would this end, but everything would come crashing down around them.

Surely the other didn't feel this way about them?

The music suddenly crescendo-ed after Burr's near-talking moment.

This broke the spell and they pulled apart, just enough to look into each other's eyes.

_‘Everyday you fight like you're running out of time_

_Like you're running out of time_

_Are you running out of time?’_

Are they?

Are they running out of time?

They have a time machine and yet... would they ever have enough time?

_"They are asking me to lead_

_I am doing the best I can’_

Lucy never asked to be a part of this. Never asked to be Rittenhouse.

_‘To get the people that I need_

_I'm asking you to be my right hand man’_

Lucy smiled, still inches from Flynn who looked utterly starstruck.

Flynn was her Right Hand Man... and so much more.

_‘I know it's a lot to ask_

_To leave behind the world you know’_

Who was asking who? 

And when?

When Lucy gave him the journal?

When Flynn stood before Lucy at the wreckage of the Hindenburg?

And was it really a lot to ask?

"Lucy..." Flynn said her name and paused, unsure of what he was going to say, what he could say. What she would accept and what he could accept.

Eventually, the song kicked up again, Lucy and Flynn suddenly avoiding eye contact as they grappled with what just happened. Glanced around to see if anyone had noticed what happened.

_‘Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room?’_

Jiya and Rufus were singing at each other and laughing.

Connor and Wyatt's attention seemed to be elsewhere as well.

They seemed safe, though with many unanswered questions between them.

"We should have that talk," Lucy said.

"Uh, yes," Flynn managed.

_‘Just you wait_

_I am not throwin' away my shot!’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for Act 2! Let us know what you think! ^_^


	17. Who Tells Your Story: Hamilton! Act 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [#FlynnFriday imagine](https://twitter.com/thalia_msr/status/1306918020019871747): After their accidental kiss Flynn and Lucy try to find any excuse to escape the common room and their friends watchful gaze to talk about… well, everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... you didn't think we'd write the sequel to the Bunker Gang Watches Hamilton, did you? ^^

"Huh. An actual intermission in a movie? Neat," Rufus observed as he stretched. Jiya paused the movie.

The moment was broken, and both Flynn and Lucy jumped apart before anyone could notice.

"I'll get the snacks!" Lucy announced, a little too brightly. She sneaked a look at Flynn.

"I'll help, but I need to go first." He gestured towards the bathroom down the hall.

"Me, too," Connor declared as he hurriedly walked in that direction.

Flynn closed his eyes and took a breath as he followed Connor out. When he opened his eyes he glanced at Lucy, finding her already staring after him. She blushed and turned back to what she was doing. He blushed in return and damn near walked into the wall in front of him.

_ Damn,  _ he thought as he straightened his path and continued on his way. Lucy was a distraction… A distraction that he just kissed. Accidentally, sure, but a kiss was a kiss.

And he definitely wanted to do more than the accidentally innocent kiss.

He took another deep breath as he walked into the bathroom. Connor was already in one of the stalls, humming to himself.

"You just gonna stand there?" Rufus asked from behind Flynn. "You're blocking the entrance, man."

Flynn moved to allow him entry.

"You alright, man? You're acting weird."

Flynn shrugged it off. "Just _ — _ "

( _ —it's just that I have inadvertently fulfilled my fantasy of kissing Lucy, and I'm trying not to freak out hoping that I won't drive her in the other direction screaming— _ )

"—never thought that a musical could give you such emotional whiplash," he offered instead. It's not as if it's untrue.

Luckily, Rufus seemed to have accepted this, giving him a friendly nudge on the shoulder.

"Now that you mention it, yeah," Rufus agreed. "Some bits hit harder, hearing it again while we're—" he gestured at their surroundings.

Flynn huffed his agreement as he stepped up the stall at the end.

"I'm curious, Flynn," Connor piped up as he finished. "How did you find time to watch a musical in the midst of your machinations to hijack the Mothership?"

If anybody mentioned about his disastrous time-travelling shenanigans before he joined this team, he would have chewed their heads off. But this was Connor, and it was brought up in friendly conversation—British dry humor and all that. Besides, Flynn had mostly made peace with what he had done.

Should he tell them how he got to watch the musical, though? 

_ Definitely not _ , he thought as he did his business and flushed. "I carved out some time." He said as he washed his hands.

"How vague of you." Connor commented as he watched him through the mirror.

Flynn just shrugged and forced a smile. Connor didn't seem to notice the difference.

"Flynn, it's okay. You can tell us if you're a theater nerd. We won't tell anyone." Rufus teased as he walked up to the sink.

"You caught me. During my vigorous planning on taking down a secret evil organization, my need to watch a musical got the best of me and I snapped." Flynn said.

Rufus narrowed his eyes at him, "See, now I can't tell if you actually meant that as a joke or if you're being serious."

Connor chuckled, "Come on, men. I'm sure the ladies are waiting for us."

"You mean the lady and Wyatt." Rufus corrected.

"Sure, that's what I meant."

He ignored Connor's lingering stare and headed back to the common room. Lucy was still by the kitchen area, trays of snacks and drinks readied at the table. She turned at his approach.

"And they say women going in groups tend to take too long in the bathroom," she teased.

Flynn flushed slightly and offered an embarrassed grin. "A little early for some hard liquor, isn't it?" He nodded at the tall bottle of vodka surrounded by smaller soda bottles.

Lucy smirked. "Trust me. If the first act got you emotional, wait 'til we get to the second act."

"I can imagine," was his noncommittal reply. He hefted the tray of drinks. "Shouldn't we be worried about getting drunk in case Rittenhouse jumps?"

"Which is why you're in charge of distributing the alcohol," Lucy declared.

Flynn's brows shot up. "Because I drink responsibly?" he asked with a chuckle.

She seemed to flounder for a response and settled with, "Yeah."

In hindsight, Flynn was forced to agree. Wyatt, while he takes his duty as soldier for this team seriously, his impulsiveness was another matter; it was best not to test that. Connor, well, he is a lost cause. Jiya and Rufus were easily excitable and with likely low impulse control, especially while they're geeking out on the musical. And Lucy, well...

It was a good thing he had a very high tolerance for alcohol.

Flynn cleared his throat. "Ah, about earlier..."

"What'd I miss?!" Jiya belted out beside them as she walked past with fresh popcorn. "I've come home to this!"

"We haven't even started the second act yet!" Rufus tried not to laugh, getting the pillows nice and fluffed again.

"I just like, like the song!" Jiya plopped down.

"You like all of the songs," Wyatt pointed out.

"Eh, I'm not too hot on 'Say No To This'." Jiya shrugged.

"Which one is that?" he asked 

"Dude, you really weren't paying attention." Rufus shook his head and got comfy next to Jiya.

"I'll explain when we get there," Jiya said.

"We all ready then?" Connor said, raising the remote.

The only two people not sitting were Lucy and Flynn. They needed to talk but they couldn't exactly explain why. They glanced at each other and had the same thought. They'd watch for a bit and slip away when everyone was distracted.

"Who wants a drink?" Flynn said, picking up the vodka bottle.

Lucy said please perhaps a little too quickly. Wyatt and Jiya also wanted one, Rufus was going to wait, and Connor had a bottle of bourbon stashed next to him that no he was not sharing.

Lucy settled onto the sofa as Flynn passed out the drinks. He eyed the empty spot next to Lucy and wasn't sure what to do. He  _ very _ much wanted to snuggle up with her again, but would he be tempting fate?

"You make a better door than a window!" Wyatt yelled at him.

Flynn rolled his eyes at him, then sat down next to Lucy.

"Alright!" Jiya nearly shouted. "Let's do this!"

Rufus was goaded into getting up again and turned most of the lights off in the common room once more, and the only illumination left were the lights surrounding the Lifeboat and the projector screen. As in the first act, Aaron Burr introduced another character.

"I've almost forgotten how very magenta his outfit was," Rufus remarked as he settled next to Jiya, just as Thomas Jefferson entered the scene.

"Regardless," Jiya chimed. "Daveed Diggs is one sexy beast."

Rufus' head whipped to her, eyes wide.

"Come on, Rufus, I have eyes.," she cajoled as he patted his cheeks. "Besides, I'll only come home to you."

Whistling and popcorn rained on them as she kissed Rufus.

"Get a room!" Wyatt called out.

"We will!" Jiya shot back. "After."

"We did  _ not  _ need to know that," Wyatt grumbled as he sank further in his chair.

The others snickered as they settled in again.

_ 'I had Lafayette draft the declaration  _

_ then I said, "I gotta go! Gotta be in Monticello"— _

"Ha! Soooo meta."

"What DID he do in Monticello?"

Four sets of eyes turned to Wyatt.

He blinked at them. "What?"

"Just how white are you?" Rufus asked.

"He  _ is _ Texan," Jiya pointed out.

"So was my mother!" Flynn reminded them, managing to pull his eyes off of Lucy.

"Yeah, but she was cool," Rufus said.

"You never met her," Wyatt reminded him.

"No, but I read her paper on compressible flow in supersonic applications," Rufus replied. "You can learn a lot about a person that way."

"Wait, what?" Flynn was now looking at Rufus.

"Dude, your mom was way smarter than you," Rufus shrugged.

"Wyatt," Lucy got his attention. "Jefferson was a slave owner who had inappropriate sexual relations with his slave, Sally, and he enslaved the children he had with her."

Wyatt thought that over for a second. "Wow, what an asshole."

"That's putting it mildly," Jiya mumbled.

_ 'Mr. Jefferson, welcome home _

_ Mr. Jefferson? Alexander Hamilton' _

Hamilton totally just interrupted Washington," Wyatt said. "I didn't notice that last time."

"Look at you, Wyatt," Flynn grinned, "learning all sorts of new things."

Wyatt glared at him.

Flynn made a mental note to pick Rufus' brain later about what he read about his mom.

'Mr. Jefferson, welcome home, sir, you've been off in Paris for so long'

"I think you can pull off that magenta outfit," Lucy remarked casually.

Flynn, who was taking his first sip of vodka, choked at her words and felt the liquor burn up his nose.

_ 'So what did I miss?' _

Lucy snickered at Flynn's wide eyed look. She was going to say something when Rufus and Jiya both stood up, half way through a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.

"I win! I'm Hamilton!" Jiya states proudly at Rufus's pout.

"Fine! But I'll be him for the next cabinet meeting!" Rufus compromised.

_ 'Ladies and gentlemen, you could have been anywhere in the world tonight _

_ But you're here with us in New York City _

_ Are you ready for a cabinet meeting, huh?' _

Wyatt took it upon himself to be the MC and smiled as Rufus and Jiya stood nose to nose with each other.

Wyatt fumbled some of the words, but managed to say, "Secretary Jefferson, you have the floor, sir."

Rufus mimed licking his finger to groom his eyebrows.

"It's surprising that Wyatt actually knows about Hamilton, let alone know some of the lines," Lucy observed as Rufus began Jefferson's verse.

Flynn still found himself still struggling to ease the fire going through his sinuses. "Mind-boggling. Yeah," he managed in between coughs.

Lucy took pity on him and rubbed a hand up and down his back while handing him a soda.

Flynn took the bottle with a grateful look but stopped before it reached his lips.

Lucy realized he was expecting for her to say something again before taking his drink. So she mimed zipping her lips and urged him to take his drink, grinning.

Rufus and Jiya had an absolute blast with the rap battle.

Wyatt even got up between them as Washington, telling them to take a walk, lightly pulling Jiya away.

"You don't have the votes." Rufus called after her, Connor jumping in as Madison.

_ ‘Such a blunder sometimes it makes me wonder why I even bring the thunder _

_ Why he even brings the thunder’ _

The team was in stitches as Rufus and Connor stood back to back like they were in a cheesy 80s TV show.

Lucy was laughing so hard she nearly collapsed into Flynn's lap. She managed to catch herself, glancing up into his eyes. They needed to talk but they would be easily noticed sneaking off right then since they were the only ones still seated.

Eventually the others say back down as the song changed.

_ ‘And there you are, an ocean away _

_ Do you have to live an ocean away’ _

Flynn was caught off guard by the lyrics. Thoughts of Lucy's journal, her speaking to him from the future.

What was an ocean to time itself?

_ 'You won't be an ocean away _

_ You'll only be a moment away' _

And now, after years of planning and fighting and hurting, here they are, sitting together, enjoying what little downtime they could get.

Flynn stole a glance at Lucy as she watched the screen.

She was worth it.

"Hamilton should have gone with them," Jiya piped up as the Schuyler sisters tried to convince Hamilton to take a vacation with them. "I mean, it could have saved him and his family from all the crap that's gonna happen."

"I dunno," Rufus replied with a shrug. "In our experience, some things still happen anyway, despite the change. What do you think, Lucy?"

_ 'You believe in fate, in ‘meant to be’,'  _ Flynn's words echoed in her head. Every time she thought he was wrong, something happened to prove him right.

"Some things do happen anyway," Lucy finally says, avoiding Flynn's gaze. "And sometimes things change in ways we could never have predicted. So... I don't know. Martha Washington named her feral tomcat after him for a reason. But would him not getting with Reynolds have changed the outcome of the 1800 election? It really depends if Hamilton does consider running for president, and in that election."

There were a chorus of nods and everyone turned back to the end of the song.

Lucy snuck a glance at Flynn who was watching the screen.

_ ‘I have to get my plan through Congress _

_ I can't stop until I get this plan through Congress’ _

Such desperation in Hamilton's voice...

"He's so relentless and outspoken," Flynn remarked. "Kind of like someone I know." A smirk played on his lips.

Lucy slapped on the arm playfully. "Well, so do I," she shot back. "And may I remind you that I DO practice some semblance of tact, far better than this person that I know." She cocked a challenging brow at him.

Flynn looked at her fully, the smirk never leaving his lips. "Oh, do you, now?" he drawled, his voice an octave lower.

Lucy hid the delightful shiver that crawled down her spine. Oh, insufferable man... 

Lucy simply smiled back as the change in melody signaled a new song. "He can be insufferable at times. Other times he's...nice."

Flynn's smirk grew into a grin and he chuckled a little at her words. "The insufferable woman I know can be nice at times as well."

"Oh? You really think that?" Lucy questioned in a low voice.

Flynn leaned closer to her, his smile still in place, "Of course I do, Lucy."

_ 'There's nothing like summer in the city _

_ Someone under stress meets someone looking pretty' _

"That's how we met don't you think?" Flynn continued.

Lucy raised a brow at that, a slight tilt to her head. "And which one of us was the pretty one?"

Flynn raised his glass to his lips, his smirk firmly back in place. "That's up to you to decide. I think we'd both give different answers."

Lucy opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out, a little too shocked at his words. Maybe the vodka loosened his tongue a bit or maybe he was feeling bold after their accidental kiss, but she'd never heard Flynn blatantly flirt with her.

"Ok, Wyatt, it's time for me to educate you on this song." Jiya spoke loudly.

"Oh, this song," Wyatt said

"Okay," Jiya started, talking over the music. "So remember the 'deflower' thing from earlier?"

"Ah, yes," Wyatt nodded, thinking back. "It is an archaic, possessive term which should not have been used."

"A little proud of you right now." Jiya held up her hand, creating a small space between her thumb and index finger.

Wyatt was not amused.

"Anyway, we already know that Miranda can have questionable word choice in this matter." She turned back to the screen. "Wait for it..."

Hamilton sang out, "But my God, she looks so helpless, and her body's saying, "Hell, yes."

"Now, I get the whole 'temptation' thing and Hamilton was like a feral tomcat, but seriously." Jiya let out a huff of breath. "He's making Hamilton passive, like of course he cheated on his wife, just look at her. He can't be blamed for his actions."

_ ‘Then her mouth is on mine, and I don't say no.’ _

"Her mouth is the aggressor here," Jiya continued. "But he's in the position of power. He's the statesman with money. He should be framed as the aggressor."

Jiya made a frustrating sound and Rufus rubbed her back.

"It's just, context and voice are really important." Jiya sighed. "I dunno, maybe I'm reading into it. What do you think Lucy?"

Lucy  _ was _ listening, but she was also staring at Flynn's lips. She looked forward quickly. "Uh..." 

"See, Lucy agrees with me." Jiya stated with a smirk towards Wyatt.

Wyatt just stared back at her with a slight nod. "So I can't just like the song cause it's a little sexy?"

Jiya thought about it for a moment, "Well, you can, but then you're kind of a pig, so..."

Wyatt sighed before shrugging, "That's fair." He said as he thought about how he had cheated on Jessica with Lucy, even if it was without his knowledge. And then about how he tried to have his cake and eat it too, but trying to keep Lucy while he had Jessica.

He was a pig, but he could try and change that. Lucy clearly outgrew him and Jessica had left him for the enemy.

"You alright, bud?" Rufus asked.

Wyatt just nodded and stuffed his face with more popcorn. No need to cry in front of everyone during some silly musical. He thought as he took a deep breath.

Lucy, seeing that Wyatt looked like he was about to choke on his popcorn and looking miserable, spoke up.

"You do have a very good point, Jiya," she said. "But an argument can be made that if Hamilton  _ had  _ been indeed severely sleep-deprived at the time, it would affect his judgment and impulse control.

"There aren't any details in the Reynolds Pamphlet nor any historical records to substantiate Hamilton's poor judgment at the time. In fact, some say that the affair wasn't real. So... I guess Lin-Manuel Miranda took some creative liberties as far as how Hamilton got seduced."

"Don't hate me?" she added in a small voice, anticipating Jiya's reaction.

"If I hated you for this then we both completely missed the point of having the conversation." Jiya assured her. "I think the lyrics are probably best something we sat down and had a long discussion about."

"Good idea." Lucy nodded. "I'll bring red pens."

"I'll bring the highlighters." Jiya grinned.

They both made a mental note to discuss the matter further later, otherwise they'd miss the rest of the song.

_ Say No To This  _ started to end and Jiya turned back to the screen. "Oh, now, _ The Room Where It Happens _ , that's a great song!"

As the song started and everyone settled back to watch, Flynn tapped Lucy's arm and leaned in slightly.

"Can I join your discussion, or is that a 'no boys allowed' kind of thing?" he whispered.

She scowled at his cheeky expression, but Lucy sensed that he would genuinely enjoy it. Not to mention that she'd enjoy his company as well.

"I'll think about it," she said offhandedly just to tease him.

Sure enough, Garcia Flynn, Interpol's Top Six Most Wanted, wore the saddest puppy dog look one has ever seen on a grown man. It took all of her willpower  _ not  _ to kiss it off his face.

She blinked a few times and cleared her throat.

"Provided you bring the coffee and some snacks," she added as she leaned away and looked back to the screen. If she stared at his face any longer, she might actually go through with it.

Flynn, on the other hand, had no problem staring at her. While he very much wanted nothing more than to whisk her away to some place private so they could discuss the accidental kiss, he couldn't deny that he enjoyed watching her. Her emotions played out on her face and it was easy for him to read. He wondered what her face would tell him if he told her why he actually had seen Hamilton on stage.

He suddenly felt something soft bounce off of his face. Several somethings. He looked down at a small handful of popcorn before turning to the culprit.

He raised a brow at Wyatt in a silent question and annoyance.

"You've been staring at her for two songs. It was getting creepy." Wyatt whispered, his chair was close enough for him to do so without Lucy hearing.

Flynn looked at the screen and noticed that the second cabinet battle was starting. He tried hard to fight the blush that he felt burning his face, but no one else seemed to have noticed.

Lucy leaned closer to him and he shot Wyatt a warning look, but the soldier had already moved on to watching Rufus and Jiya getting ready to perform.

Wyatt jumped up to take his place as Washington again, this time Rufus and Jiya swapped. Mason was Madison. of course.

With them all consumed with the rap, was this their chance to get away?

Flynn glanced at Lucy and she seemed to have the same thought, which both excited and frightened him.

"More alcohol?" Flynn said, creating a kernel of truth to his need to stand up.

He moved towards the kitchen area and started to fiddle with things. He would wait for Lucy to leave and then go follow.

He waited.

The song ended.

Lucy hadn't moved.

She wasn't ready. She thought she was, until the opportunity to have that talk actually came.

Her mind was in turmoil. Did she really want to confront Flynn right now, sort out the complicated feelings behind the impulse?

She worried about the outcome. How can they work like a team if he didn't...

Lucy was so lost in her own head that she didn't realize the song was done. 

_ ‘It must be nice, it must be nice…’ _

The rest of the team settled back to their places, but Wyatt walked towards the fridge to get a beer. Flynn poured himself a short glass of vodka and downed it in a shot.

Wyatt raised a brow at that, but quickly retreated when Flynn glared at him. 

Wyatt...  _ Of course _ . He burned Lucy pretty hard, she had deep scars.

_ ‘It must be nice, it must be nice…’ _

The last thing he wanted to do was pressure if she needed more time. He poured himself another drink and headed back to the sofa.

Lucy looked up at him with an apologetic smile. Her hand halted as it reached for him. He nodded at her, he didn't need to speak words to talk to her. He understood.

_ ‘Oh! This immigrant isn't somebody we chose’ _

The line echoed quickly in Lucy's head. Just how did Flynn come into her life in however many timelines ago?

_ ‘Oh! This immigrant's keeping us all on our toes’ _

He definitely kept her on her toes, in more ways than one. If anything were to happen to him, if she lost him... she feared she'd lose a part of herself.

That revelation was scary, but she was Lucy Preston, she would take a deep breath and face her fears. A little stumble wouldn't stop her.

Flynn sat down next to her and she cuddled up to him. After a tentative movement, he wrapped his arm around and let her tuck up against him.

_ ‘Still, it must be nice, it must be nice’ _

It was definitely nice to have Lucy next to him again, and it told Flynn all he needed to know about where her mind was at. She wasn’t quite ready to talk about their kiss just yet, and that was okay with him. If they were to act upon what had happened... well, the ramifications could be huge. 

The action moved to Washington and Hamilton in  _ One Last Time _ . This song had always been a personal favorite of his because of what it represented from a leadership point of view. Washington was so willing to step down from the Presidency, telling Hamilton that this decision would eventually strengthen the new nation. 

His thoughtfulness was short-lived, however, as Hamilton responded to his summons by Washington with, 

‘ _ Sir, I don’t know what you heard _

_ But whatever it is, Jefferson started it’ _

Flynn’s smile turned into an outright guffaw.

Well if this wasn’t his relationship with Wyatt in a nutshell.

Flynn felt eyes on him and once again turned to look at Wyatt. But the smile Wyatt was aiming his way threw him off. He was expecting a glare for the position he and Lucy were in. Not a smile.

"Jefferson." Wyatt said, pointing to himself. "Hamilton." Then he pointed at Flynn and the taller man couldn't hold back a chuckle at that.

"Not to make your head too big, but I was just thinking the same thing."

Wyatt's smile just got a little bigger. He glanced at Lucy, all snuggled up against Flynn _. 'They fit.' _ He thought just before raising his glass a little and Flynn copied his movements.

"I won't say we're friends." Wyatt spoke, unaware that four sets of eyes were watching them.

"God forbid."

Then they drank.

"It's love at first shot." Jiya joked, making both men glare at her.

Flynn felt Lucy shaking a bit and looked down to see her laughing quietly. He rolled his eyes but tuned back into the musical.

Connor stood up and raised a glass as he sang.

_ 'One last time _

_ Relax, have a drink with me _

_ One last time _

_ Let’s take a break tonight _

_ And then we’ll teach them how to say goodbye _

_ To say goodbye _

_ You and I' _

Rufus snorted loudly at his mentor, earning him a nasty glare from Connor and an elbow to the rib cage from his girlfriend. 

“What?!” he sputtered, beer dripping from chin as a result of Jiya’s aggression. 

“Why you gotta make fun of him?” she asked, apologetically wiping foam from Rufus’s stubble. 

He began to shake with laughter again. “Hearing Connor say ‘Have a drink with me one last time’ just seems so... unrealistic,” he snorted. 

Wyatt rolled his eyes at his friends and glanced at Lucy. Yup, she was still tucked into Flynn’s side so tightly that he couldn’t see space between them anywhere. It was almost as if they had melded together to become one. And Wyatt sighed as he realized that Lucy and Flynn were nearly unstoppable together. All of Flynn’s blathering nonsense about working together w Lucy had come to be, and beautifully so, in a way he himself had never gelled with her. Wyatt sighed again, and Lucy, noticing the sad air about him, asked w concern, “You okay there, Wyatt?”

The soldier chastised himself for showing his regret so readily. He stammered as he tried to throw Lucy off the scent.

But he was saved by Washington singing,  _ “If I say goodbye, the nation learns to move on.”  _

Wyatt gestured at the television. “I just... Jessica never really said goodbye to me, so...”

“You never really had a chance to move on,” Lucy finished for him. 

Wyatt nodded weakly.

"Well maybe now you can. With her defecting and all." Lucy said.

Wyatt just shrugged a shoulder as he looked into his bowl of popcorn. He honestly hadn't given it much thought. He knew he could never trust Jessica again. But beyond that, he hasn't taken the time to really think about it.

"Maybe."

Connor stood up and refilled Wyatt's glass with more alcohol giving him a wink as he did so. Wyatt smiled in thanks.

_ 'They say _

_ George Washington's yielding his power and stepping away _

_ Is that true?' _

Connor sang as he, once again, became King George.

_ 'I wasn't aware that was something a person could do _

_ I'm perplexed _

_ Are they going to keep on replacing whoever's in charge? _

_ If so, who's next? _

_ There's nobody else in their country who looms quite as large' _

"Good thing Connor doesn't own a country," Rufus remarked of his father-figure and mentor.

Connor, of course, heard him and sneered down his nose at him without missing his cue. The others burst into laughter.

_ 'That poor man, they're gonna eat him alive!' _

_ 'Oceans rise _

_ Empires fall _

_ Next to Washington, they all look small _

_ All alone _

_ Watch them run _

_ They will tear each other into pieces _

_ Jesus Christ, this will be fun!' _

As he sang the wordless lyrics, he gestured imperiously at Rufus to get him his "chair", just like King George did.

"Committed much, Connor?" Rufus grumbled as he pushed the coffee table behind his mentor.

Being the frustrated thespian that he was, Connor stuck to his role, laughing maniacally while looking pointedly at Rufus.

"Ooooh. Dad's scary," Jiya stage-whispered.

"Keep that up, you two, and I'll confiscate your phones before supper," Connor shot back with a smirk.

"Now Daddy's angry." Wyatt said as he stuffed more popcorn in his mouth and winked over at Connor.

The silence that followed the wink made Wyatt blush hard. But the next song starting gave him an out and he gladly took it.

_ 'How does Hamilton, the short-tempered _

_ Protean creator _

_ of the Coast Guard _

_ Founder of the New York Post _

_ Ardently abuse his cab'net post _

_ Destroy his reputation? _

_ Welcome, folks to _

_ The Adams administration!' _

He loudly sang along, with Connor joining in. Which just made him blush more.

"I think Wyatt is going through some self-discovery right now." Flynn whispered in Lucy's ear.

She chuckled to cover up the fact that his breath on her ear made her shiver. "You didn't see the way he fangirled over Ian Fleming. I think he was jealous that James Bond was flirting with me instead of him."

Flynn's smile got wider.

"Do you think they're...?"

Lucy barely controlled her gasp. "You're thinking it's because...?"

Flynn shrugged. "Why not."

"Ooooooh."

Both heads slowly turned towards Wyatt. They giggled conspiratorially.

"He probably pulled some strings so he could take him to see this live," Lucy remarked, munching on popcorn.

"And it's probably one of many dates," Flynn supplied.

"If you two are quite finished, we are watching a musical," Connor cut in archly. 

It only made Lucy and Flynn giggle harder and Flynn throw popcorn at him.

By the time they settled down,  _ We Know  _ had come on. Lucy was finding herself getting perhaps way too comfy against Flynn. If such a thing was even allowed.

_ ‘An immigrant embezzling our government funds _

_ I can almost see the headline, your career is done’ _

Lucy snorted.

"What?" Flynn asked her.

"Just remembering a time when cheating, either at business or on your wife, excluded you from government office," she replied dryly.

"We're sure that was an Rittenhouse thing." It wasn't really a question.

"Likely," she sighed. "It's possible when we stop Rittenhouse we'll put a stop to that nonsense too."

Flynn thought about this for a moment. "I never found proof, but do we think Rittenhouse has gotten its hooks into other governments?"

Lucy glanced up sharply at him. "It's... possible." It wasn't a pleasing thought though. It meant their problem was all that much bigger.

Flynn gave her a comforting squeeze. They'd get through this. They'd stop Rittenhouse, no matter how big or small.

Their sobered mood wasn't improved with the screen going dark and the ominous piano chord introducing the next song,  _ Hurricane _ .

_ 'In the eye of a hurricane _

_ There is quiet _

_ For just a moment _

_ A yellow sky' _

_ 'When I was seventeen a hurricane _

_ Destroyed my town _

_ I didn’t drown _

_ I couldn’t seem to die' _

Flynn scoffed at hearing the lines. His entire life was a hurricane—jumping from one war to another, trying to help where he could. Losing his little family to Rittenhouse, razing through history to eliminate the threat they posed.

And, despite all the peril, here he was, still alive.

His hand unconsciously drifted to the scar on his abdomen. He'd seen enough scrapes and close calls to be cognizant that there is some cosmic being—if not God—was keeping him alive up to this point. For some reason. 

_ ‘I wrote my way out _

_ Wrote everything down far as I could see _

_ I wrote my way out _

_ I looked up and the town had its eyes on me’ _

Those lyrics didn't hit as hard the first time Lucy had heard them.

She remembered it being a dramatic moment. The music perfectly matching the feelings of the moment. A strong downbeat that spoke of Hamilton's determination.

But it was Hamilton... not her.

_ ‘I wrote my way out of hell _

_ I wrote my way to revolution _

_ I was louder than the crack in the bell’ _

Had this been where she got the idea to write the journal, and to use it to bring down Rittenhouse? She tried to write her way out of whatever hell that first timeline must have been.

Or had it been Flynn's suggestion?

Lucy glanced up at him but he was watching the screen.

How had things been between them that first time? Had they been 'quite the team' then?

_ ‘In the eye of a hurricane _

_ There is quiet _

_ For just a moment’ _

They were the eye in each other's hurricane. If not then, now. And she supposed it didn't matter what exactly happened in that timeline. It was right here, this time, that did.

But what would she do about it?

Could she be as bold as Hamilton?

"Flynn?" She whispered only loud enough for him to hear.

He turned his head down to look at her. She stared up at him with wide eyes and he furrowed his brows in curiosity. "What is it?"

Something in his eyes looked vulnerable and she almost didn't speak. "I don't think we'd be able to slip away anytime soon and we have… some things to talk about."

Flynn smirked, "An understatement."

Lucy smirked back before taking a quick glance around. Everyone was too engrossed in the song to pay them any mind.

"Maybe after the musical you can come back to my room and we can talk." Flynn suggested as nonchalantly as he could. Which was not at all.

Lucy chuckled at the blush she could see spreading across his face. "So business as usual once everyone has gone their respective ways?"

"Hopefully with some alterations, but yes." He smiled.

She hummed. "Sounds interesting," she murmured. "I'd like to go over these alterations with you... in deeper detail." She looked up at him and bit her lip.

She bit her lip harder from laughing in his face at seeing Flynn's face turn redder.

_ 'The Reynolds Pamphlet!' _

Wyatt jumped out of his seat, startling Flynn and Lucy away from each other. He mumbled something about more popcorn.

_ 'Have you read this?' _

Flynn looked at Wyatt's discarded bowl and noticed that it was still half full. He looked back at the soldier just as the lyrics started to register in his ears.

_ 'Alexander Hamilton had a torrid affair _

_ And he wrote it down right there' _

Wyatt's eyes lingered on Lucy before he went back to distracting himself from the song. Lucy no doubt had written about their night together in that journal of hers that Flynn was so attached to when they had first encountered him. That night had been memorable and the start of the never ending nightmare he is currently living in. He hadn't known he was cheating on Jessica. He didn't know she was alive.

He felt a hand on smiling slightly at him and offering him a glass of bourbon with his other hand.

"Thanks." He mumbled as he took a small sip of the soothing alcohol.

"You can't blame yourself forever, you know." Connor then out his arm around Wyatt's shoulders and turned him around, "Come on, the shows not yet done. You can have a good cry later. Right now it's family time."

Wyatt took a deep breath and forced a smile on his face. "You're right. At least the booze helps."

Rufus and Jiya's singalong stopped as the two men faced them.

"So. How long has this been going on?" Lucy asked brightly, eyes twinkling.

"Ugh, Lucy, no," Rufus moaned with a hand over his eyes. "You're making it sound like my dad and a budy of mine are—" He groaned loudly this time, possibly in the hopes of drowning out the images his mind was likely giving him.

Connor rolled his eyes at Rufus, but decided against leering at Wyatt to save the younger man from having a stroke.  _ 'If only he knew...'  _ Connor thought from behind his glass of bourbon.

Wyatt, on the other hand, was bright red and glaring at Lucy. "Maybe we should just move past this conversation. Hamilton won't watch itself."

Lucy and Jiya giggled at his words, while Flynn just smirked at the soldier.

Wyatt just snatched up the remote and turned the volume up more to drown out the team.

The stage on their screen erupted in chaos as Jefferson led the chant:

_ You're never gon' be President now _

_ (You're never gonna be President now) _

_ You're never gon' be President now _

_ (You're never gonna be President now) _

_ You're never gon' be President now _

_ (You're never gonna be President now) _

_ That's one last thing to worry about _

_ That's one last thing to worry about' _

Jiya and Lucy giggled at King George's antics on stage.

"This guy's soooo extra," Jiya noted. She turned back to Lucy. "Which King George actor did you see?"

"I saw the one with Brian d'Arcy James," she answered. "He's really good. Not a spitter, or as flamboyant as this one, though."

"For a historian watching a musical that's taking so much liberties on history, you seem to be handling the inaccuracies well," Flynn remarked with a smirk.

"Time travelling and trying to stop a certain someone from torching history can do that to a person," Lucy shot back with a smirk of her own.

"Well yeah," Jiya piped up. "If they didn't take liberties, the musical wouldn't be as interesting."

Lucy tilted her head as if conceding the point. "It's more of switching up the players. Like when Jefferson, Burr and Madison confronted Hamilton about possible corruption. Historically, it was James Monroe, Abraham Venable and Frederick Muhlenberg who did. It's possible that due to some constraints with casting budget or whatever, the musical stuck with the first three. Though Monroe  _ did  _ tell Jefferson, who's a close personal friend, so I guess there's that connection..."

All sights and sounds abruptly stopped.

Rufus lowered the remote. "Omigod, Lucy," he moaned. "Girl, I love you, but we're kinda in the middle of watching."

Lucy's eyes widened, as if remembering herself. "Ooh! Sorry!" she stage-whispered and settled back against Flynn's arm.

"That's okay." Flynn squeezed her shoulder. "I like watching you go off about something you feel passionate about."

She looked up at him through her lashes, warmth blooming in her chest at his words. "You do?" Her voice was small.

He leaned closer to put his lips near her head to whisper, "Always."

Lucy and Flynn were so lost in each other's eyes that they hadn't noticed they had an audience.

"Why?" Lucy asked, her voice soft.

Flynn smiled before giving a tiny shy shrug. "I guess, I just enjoy the sound of your voice. How you're able to captivate a room full of students and make them excited about the subject simply because  _ you're  _ excited about it. Watching you lecture is an honor and a privilege."

Lucy's mouth hung open just slightly. She didn't know what to say to that. No one had ever described her teaching in such a way. "Wait...Have you seen me lecture before?"

Flynn flushed and moved a few inches away from her. "Uh...erm...Yes..."

Lucy was genuinely curious when she said, "When?"

"...After your future self gave me the journal. I came here to California and..." He trailed off, not knowing how to phrase his thoughts in a way that didn't come off as creepy.

"You stalked Lucy." Wyatt supplied as he watched the two from his seat.

Flynn and Lucy, both startled, turned to find four pairs of eyes on them. The musical still paused.

"I was going to say I had her under surveillance." Flynn said in defense.

"That's just a fancy word spies and use instead of stalked. You stalked her. Lucy, Flynn stalked you." Jiya smirked up at the older pair on the couch.

"Dude, that's creepy." Rufus added with a frown.

Flynn turned beat red as he tried to think of something to say in defense, but nothing came to mind. Then words just tumbled from his lips, "I didn't follow her  _ all  _ the time. Just when I  _ need  _ to-to understand."

"Oh, just some casual stalking. No biggie, then." Rufus said as he nudged a giggling Jiya.

"I DID NOT STALK LUCY!" Flynn practically yelled at them, causing everyone to go silent before everyone burst out laughing.

Everyone except Flynn, who tried to disappear into the couch, and Lucy, who only rolled her eyes.

"Flynn, they're only teasing." Connor smirked at the lobster impression Flynn was doing.

Flynn crossed his arms and continued to grumble unintelligibly—or in some language nobody was familiar. 

(Lucy did catch something that sounded like "yeah, boaty"?)

"Sure, Dad," he grumbled from the side of his mouth.

"Be quiet, you. I'm not that old."

"O-kay! Y'all settled and QUIET now?" Rufus asked loudly, eyeing Connor and the couple on the couch.

Lucy raised her hands to let her know she's good, and Flynn and Connor waved their assent, all trying to hide their grins. Rufus turned back to the screen and resumed the video.

Rufus rewound the musical a bit, so that they could transition into the next song more smoothly. He glanced back at Lucy, in case she wanted to speak up again.

She didn't. She just smirked at him and he playfully rolled his eyes in return.

Jiya pulled out a box of tissues from seemingly out of nowhere. "Just in case." She mumbled as the first notes to  _ Burn  _ started.

_ 'I saved every letter you wrote to me _

_ From the moment I read them _

_ I knew you were mine _

_ You said you were mine _

_ I thought you were mine' _

Flynn shifted away from Lucy and discreetly cleared his throat. The lyrics were hitting too close to home.

He had savored Lucy's journal after her future self had given it to him. It had become his bible and he, admittedly, had fallen in love with the Lucy he found in those pages and he believed Future Lucy was in love with him.

_ 'You and your words flooded my senses _

_ Your sentences left me defenseless _

_ You built me palaces out of paragraphs _

_ You built cathedrals' _

That's exactly what Lucy's words had done for him. They took his broken heart and helped build him back up, stronger then he was before. But the thing s, he was built a little different from before. He was a monster, but every time he read Lucy's words he was reminded of the man he was.

She was his redemption and salvation. This tiny, clumsy, adorable historian. His Lucy.

'What if he led you to me?' She had told him.

Yeah. He probably did.

_ 'I'm re-reading the letters you wrote to me _

_ I'm searching and scanning for answers in every line _

_ For some kind of sign _

_ And when you were mine _

_ The world seemed to burn' _

The first time Lucy had met him the Hindenburg was burning behind them. The journal had promised that they'd burn the world together. In order to smoke out Rittenhouse and destroy them.

But she didn't KNOW then. And he had been so… confused and angry. He had reread the entire journal front to cover to try and figure out how the Lucy he had spoken to that day was the same from the journal. They were so different.

Lucy wanted to stop him. Lucy in the journal had wanted the opposite. It had annoyed him at the time. But that hadn't made him...admire her less, just made him shift his focus. He had to make her understand. Had to show her.

_ 'You published the letters she wrote you _

_ You told the whole world _

_ How you brought this girl into our bed _

_ In clearing your name _

_ You have ruined our lives' _

Flynn glanced at Wyatt. The entries in which he was mentioned had always angered him. Not because Lucy seemed to be in a sexual relationship with the soldier in the future, but because Lucy wasn't happy. 

Rittenhouse seemed to be winning in the timeline that Future Lucy was from and she had turned to Wyatt for comfort. Flynn wasn't alive in that timeline. Lucy's journal had explained it all.

He had truly hated Wyatt when he first met him. He had even been surprised when Lucy had come to his room with a bottle of vodka and admitted to their unintentional affair.

That's when he knew for certain that this timeline was completely different. Wyatt and Lucy had remained friends until they were the only ones left to fight Rittenhouse. But in this one, they started it much earlier.

Then of course Jessica happened.

"Flynn?" His head snapped towards Lucy. She looked concerned, "You okay? You look...angry."

Flynn forced his body to relax. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" she prodded, and only got a nod in return.

She glanced at the screen. The song. The words. She could see the parallel to the journal, and it was likely where Flynn's thoughts went. She wondered what had caused the anger in his eyes.  _ 'If only I got a look before we lost it...' _

Lucy leaned back against his arm when no other response was forthcoming. 

_ 'You and your words obsessed with your legacy _

_ Your sentences border on senseless _

_ And you are paranoid in every paragraph _

_ How they perceive you' _

Wry amusement caused her lips to turn up slightly. If that isn't a good description of her impression of Flynn from Before. How the rest of the team perceived him, really: a fanatic scorned, hellbent on taking history down with him. Rittenhouse's machinations made it too easy to tag Flynn as the enemy, wounded and cornered him until he had no choice but to fight with nothing to lose but his own life.

And in her encounter with him, time and time again, he claimed she would help him. And each time, she denied him until the day she heard Rittenhouse uttered from an unexpected source from decades past.

She remembered how Flynn seemed to relish spitting her words back at her. She then wondered if that was what upset him a moment ago.

She squeezed arm on impulse, an apology and assurance in that gentle grip. But it was enough for his gaze to drift back to hers, questioning.

She murmured, "We're okay. Right?" Lucy couldn't help but ask.

Flynn looked down at her in confusion. "Why wouldn't we be?" Then a thought occurred to him, "Unless you've… um… decided against coming to my room later?"

Lucy immediately wanted to shut that thought train down, but instead she said, "Would you be upset with me if I changed my mind?"

Flynn's eyes widened a bit, "Of course not!" He glanced around the room. Everyone was still focused on the musical, but he still leaned closer to whisper, "I'd just be upset that I allowed myself to be so excited about it. Your feelings come first. Always."

Lucy smiled up at him. "You're excited about talking to me?"

"I'm always thrilled to speak with you. Whispering to you now is its own little adventure. You're my favorite person here, Lucy."

Lucy blushed. Hard. "Well, I guess we'll just have to keep our appointment, huh?"

"I guess so."

_ ‘Meet the latest graduate of King's College _

_ I probably shouldn't brag, but dag I amaze and astonish _

_ The scholars say I got the same virtuosity and brains as my Pops _

_ The ladies say my brains not there the resemblance stops’ _

_ Burn  _ had ended and  _ Blow Us All Away _ started. Knowing how the song ended, Lucy squeezed Flynn's hand to offer him some strength.

"We'll get them back," Lucy promised him.

Flynn glanced down at her, eyes glistening. "I have... hope. You gave me that."

"Right." Lucy nodded, a small, almost sad smile, on her lips. "São Paulo."

"Yes, but not just then." Flynn licked his lips. "Having hope in that timeline didn't necessarily mean hope in this one. We're... different people now."

"You're not a monster," Lucy assured him.

Flynn smiled at her. "You give me hope, Lucy. Right here. Right now."

Lucy felt like falling into the warmth of his gaze and earnest words. How could such a man who've known pain and violence be the only one who made her feel... extraordinary? Having only earned grudging praise and token affection most of her life, this felt overwhelming. And good.

Her lips parted in an attempt to swallow more air. Flynn's eyes darted down, then back to hers.

_ 'What if He led you to me?' _ she had said. Is this where their path leads, too?

Flynn held his gaze, as if searching for something in her face. He seemed to have found his answer there, and started to draw closer—

_ 'Number ten paces FIRE!' _

Flynn immediately tensed. Lucy took his hand in hers to try to comfort him. His eyes were closed and he was breathing a little too fast.

_ 'Where's my son? _

_ Mr. Hamilton, come in, they brought him in a half an hour ago _

_ He lost a lot of blood on the way over (stay alive) is he alive?' _

Blood. That's what he remembered most from that night. The smell of it when he entered his little girl's room. The image of it seeping through Lorena's clothes as she lay on the floor.

He had been shot then, before reality crashed into him and he had to fight. Had been forced to leave his family behind. He hadn't even known if there was a possibility they'd be alive.

_ 'I'm doing everything I can but the wound was already infected when he arrived' _

He remembered running and somehow making it to a safehouse. He vaguely remembered Karl patching him up.

He remembered... he remembered...

A voice was trying to penetrate through the fog in his head and ears.

Lucy.

"Hey... hey. Flynn, you hear me? Look at me, come on."

He blinked hard and shook his head. Her voice. He'd follow her everywhere.

His other senses were slowly registering his surroundings. Lucy's hands rubbing circles on his knuckles. The scent of vodka from his glass to the other side of him. Then there was Lucy, so close, warm dark eyes full of worry. And then the music, the heartbeat...

He couldn't stay.

"Flynn?" Lucy sounded surprised as he stood, the concern never leaving her face.

"I-I... bathroom," he got out from a constricted throat.

Rufus and Jiya turned. "You need to go?" Rufus asked, remote poised towards the screen.

Flynn raised a hand, hoping the low light hid the tremors going through it. "Don't pause on my account. Not like I've seen it before."

The two merely stared at him, too long for his liking. They shrugged and turned back towards the screen.

_ 'Un, deux, trois, quatre cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf...' _

He needed to go.

He needed to go NOW.

_ 'Un, deux, trois, quatre cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf...' _

He tried his damnedest to keep his stride calm as he walked out of the common room, then made a dash to his room just as Elizabeth Schuyler let out a gut-wrenching scream that pierced his already shattered heart.

Flynn thought he could handle this. He knew it was coming, but maybe that just made it worse, like tensing during a car crash.

Safe from prying eyes, Flynn sat down on the floor and let the pain of his loss wash over him. A pain that never really went away, rising like high tide.

‘ _ There are moments that the words don't reach _

_ There is suffering too terrible to name’ _

Rufus had wired the sound into the speaker system, he could hear Eliza's suffering as easily as he felt his own.

_ ‘You hold your child as tight as you can _

_ And push away the unimaginable’ _

He was trying. All he wanted to do was hold Iris again.

_ ‘The moments when you're in so deep _

_ It feels easier to just swim down’ _

It was easier. When he sat in that bar, all he could do was swim down into a bottle, eventually the barrel of a gun. He didn't have the strength to swim up, to move on, and fight.

Not until Lucy came and gave him hope. A hand reaching out into the darkness that had consumed him. 

_ ‘A sign of the cross at the door _

_ And I pray _

_ That never used to happen before’ _

He had stopped praying after he had joined the army. He realized then that no amount of praying was going to bring any of his friends or fellow soldier’s back.

Even when Lorena was having complications during her pregnancy with Iris, he hadn't prayed. He reasoned that Lorena had enough faith for the both of them.

When they died, he didn't pray. He just cursed and ranted at God. Asked him why and begged him to take him too. He never got any answers and he woke up each morning. Still alive.

It wasn't until Lucy. She had given him her journal. Had given him a lifeline, that he prayed. He had read the journal that same night and cried. The last entry spoke of changing their history and bringing back those that were lost. It spoke of hope. About having faith.

So he dropped to his knees and prayed. Prayed that she was right. Prayed that he get his girls back. Prayed that the journal this mysterious woman was sending him on gave him more answers than questions.

_ 'If I could spare his life _

_ If I could trade his life for mine _

_ He'd be standing here right now _

_ And you would smile, and that would be enough' _

Why wasn't anything he'd done enough, his mind lamented. He tried everything he could to follow the journal. Everything. To the point of completely losing his soul. 

Wasn't anything he'd done enough? He didn't even want his family back in his life; he just wanted them  _ alive _ .

_ 'If it has to be my life for theirs, then so be it, _ ' he thought fiercely.

"Please don't say that."

Flynn's head snapped up, a sob caught in his throat. He wasn't even aware he said that out loud.

"Lucy..." He looked away and scrubbed at his face with the sleeve of his hoodie.

Flynn didn't want to face her, unwilling for her to see his crumbling façade right now.

As Hamilton continued to sing to his estranged wife, a new voice joined him.

_ 'I don't pretend to know _

_ The challenges we're facing _

_ I know there's no replacing what we've lost _

_ And you need time _

_ But I'm not afraid _

_ I know who I'—  _

(Lucy cut herself off at the last word)

_ married' _

She knelt beside Flynn, a hand on his arm as she continued singing along,

_ 'Just let me stay here by your side _

_ That would be enough' _

Tears gathered in his eyes as he reached for her hand and held it as tightly as he could without hurting her. He brought it to his lips and placed a few kisses on her palm. "Lucy...Lucy I-"

She cut him off with her fingers on his lips. "Please don't say anything we're not ready for." Her voice was soft and her eyes sparkled with unshed tears.

Flynn nodded and tried to take a breath, but his throat was still tight with emotion. He didn't want Lucy to be confused about his feelings for her, but he knew they still had to talk. He cleared his throat.

"Lucy, know that my feelings for you run deep."

Lucy smiled widely at him, not knowing how to respond properly. "Let's go back and finish the musical."

"I need a minute." He wiped at his tears.

"I'll stay with you. I won't leave you by yourself."

"Ok." He mumbled, like a little boy.

Her heart ached for him, sitting curled into himself on the floor, brought low by his loss. She wanted to contradict his thoughts, coax him out of his grief with words of hope. But it felt... wrong, somehow. It felt like Flynn had kept his grief bottled up for so long, it needed an outlet.

She would remind him of the hope they need to cling to. For now, she will be there in his time of sorrow, if he let her.

It only occurred to her somehow that the sound from the musical carried clearly down the hall where they were. So she carefully sat beside him, and, without thinking too much of it, took his hand in hers.

She didn't mind skipping out on the rest of the song—or the rest of the musical, for that matter. Lucy was where she needed to be, and that's all that it mattered.

This time around, Lucy was here for the lyrics. 

_ ‘There are moments that the words don't reach _

_ There is a grace too powerful to name.’ _

Through her grace, he was still here. Her words  _ had  _ reached him. 

Saved him. 

He took a deep breath and got to his feet, drawing her up carefully with him. 

_ ‘They are standing in the garden _

_ Alexander by Eliza's side _

_ She takes his hand.’ _

He looked down at their joined hands. Looked into her eyes, which gazed up at him steadily. 

Then his eyes dropped to her lips. There had to be a term for when the urge to kiss someone is so great that it frightens you into inaction. 

Was he ready for this? With Lucy?

He was pulled towards as if she had the gravity of the sun, but she burned just as hot.

Glancing up, she was looking at his lips.

_ Can we get back to politics? _

_ Please? _

_ Yo’ _

Jefferson and Madison's lament came out loud, startling them both. 

_ ‘Every action has its equal, opposite reaction’ _

That was an understatement as both of them awkwardly coughed, looking at anything but each other.

"We, ah," Lucy tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "We need to talk. But we should finish the movie. If you're okay with that?"

"I am now." Flynn gave her a subdued smile. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me." She looked up at him. "I'll always be here for you."

He gave her another shy smile, not trusting himself to say anything. 

His heart wanted to explode. How he deserved this chance, the bond with this extraordinary woman, He definitely didn't want to screw this up.

Flynn gestured for Lucy to precede him, and she acknowledged him with a tilt of a head and a snicker. She walked towards the common room with him just a few steps behind.

"It's about time you joined us," Wyatt remarked with no real heat as Lucy and Flynn took to their seats. "These two were getting antsy." He gestured to Jiya and Rufus with his glass.

"You guys could have waited until we finished before you started canoodling," Rufus complained.

When Flynn noticed Lucy was too flustered to answer, he replied, "Sorry to break it to you, pal, but there was no canoodling to be had."

"Really??" Rufus looked to Lucy for confirmation.

"Nothing happened." Lucy recovered enough to respond with an eye roll.

They didn't expect the collective groans from Wyatt, Jiya and Rufus, as the guys passed Jiya what looked to be a ten dollar bill.

At Lucy and Flynn's raised eyebrows, Jiya explained, "We took bets on whether or not you two went off to feel each other up."

Lucy blushed as Flynn rolled his eyes at their antics.

"Sorry to disappoint you boys." Flynn said as he settled back next to Lucy. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her a little closer.

Rufus just shook his head at the two on the couch. "Don't apologize just… ya know… do it next time."

Wyatt smirked at the blush that colored both of their cheeks.

"Alright, children. Leave them alone." Connor said from his corner.

Lucy gave a grateful smile Connor's way before glancing Flynn's face, looking for any signs of uncertainty lurking there. Flynn has sacrificed life and limb since joining their team in order to keep them safe. She felt that the least she could do for him was to protect his heart and emotional well-being however she could.

Flynn happened to look her way, must have seen the question or concern in her face. He mouthed "It's okay" to her with small easy smile.

_ 'Shake hands with him (Burr!) _

_ Charm her (Burr!) _

_ It's eighteen hundred, ladies, tell your husbands _

_ vote for (Burr!)' _

The last line earned disgusted noises from Jiya and Lucy.

"At least Grace Hum—errr, I mean, Alice Paul paved the way for women to be able to vote?" 

Rufus was making frantic abortive gestures as Lucy was drilling a hole through Wyatt's skull with her stare.

Wyatt looked at both of them. "What?"

Rufus turned pleading eyes to Lucy.

She recalled Rufus' admonition about not going into a full-blown lecture while they're watching.

Her mouth worked soundlessly before crossing her arms and flopping back to the couch with a huff. No, they don't need a lecture about how Alice Paul stood on the shoulders of several suffragette leaders that came before her, how the movement took more than half a century helped grant voting rights mostly to white women, and only for people of color and indigenous people to gain some of that privilege many, many years after...

Lucy was practically vibrating with the urge to share this information, but it wasn't the time for it.

She felt a squeeze on her shoulder. "If you have the time, Professor, let's add the topic of the women's rights movement for our... talk, later," Flynn offered in a low voice to her ear.

There was a glib reply at the tip of her tongue, but Lucy relented. In fact, she found herself looking forward to that talk with Flynn more.

"We can find the time," she replied with a little smirk.

Flynn smirked back and repositioned himself so that Lucy could lean more against him. _ 'We need new furniture,' _ he thought as the metal arm rest dug into his back.  _ 'I should convince Denise to get us something nice… like new beds.' _

He was in such a daydream about a bed that actually accommodated him and, given the last couple of months, Lucy, that he barely registered the song continuing.

It's funny, he mused, that they'd been sharing a bed this entire time and he never considered that she might have feelings for him. Looking at her now, snuggled up against him, almost in the exact way they sleep in his bed.  _ 'Our bed.' _ He corrected himself. She rarely slept on the couch any more. He knew she had some kind of feelings for him now.

Maybe they weren't as intense as his are for her, but he was still going to cherish whatever she was willing to give him.

_ 'Well, I'll be damned _

_ Well, I'll be damned _

_ Hamilton's on your side _

_ Well, I'll be damned _

_ Well, I'll be damned _

_ And? _

_ You won in a landslide!' _

"I like this song. The change in tempo when it gets to Hamilton, and the pacing. It's nice." Wyatt admitted.

Everyone glanced over at Wyatt, who gave a what gesture with his hands. Since he wasn't wrong, they went back to watching the musical.

_ ‘Burr, when you see Hamilton, thank him for the endorsement’ _

"I can see Jefferson actually saying that," Jiya commented. "And in that tone."

Lucy thought it over for a second. "You're probably right."

Your Obedient Servant came on and Connor perked up. "I do enjoy this song. Possibly my favorite."

Rufus did a double take as Burr started to rant. "Why?"

"Because it's delightfully passively aggressive in the most British of ways," Connor said gleefully. "You may kick the British out of the country, but you can't take the British out of the man."

Rufus facepalmed and the rest of them laughed.

_ ‘As I reckon with the effects _

_ Of your life on mine’ _

Flynn glanced down at Lucy who had covered her mouth and was stifling her laugh. He had to reckon the effect of her life on his, but in so many different ways than Burr and Hamilton.

He would never fault Lucy for what her family did. She wanted no part of them. She saw what they did and she came to help him, save him.

_ 'I will not equivocate on my opinion _

_ I have always worn it on my sleeve _

_ Even if I said what you think I said _

_ You would need to cite a more specific grievance _

_ Here's an itemized list of thirty years of disagreements _

_ Sweet Jesus' _

At this point everyone was singing along and getting into it. Laughing at all of the papers being given to Burr and his annoyed expression.

_ 'Hey, I have not been shy _

_ I am just a guy in the public eye _

_ Tryna do my best for our republic, I don't wanna fight _

_ But I won't apologize for doing what's right' _

"That's you, Flynn!"

Flynn stopped singing and looked at Jiya, baffled. "Excuse me?"

"That bit sounds like you. Your face is everywhere, labeled a terrorist, but that didn't stop you from fighting the good fight. And you haven't apologized for it. Not that you should." She said matter-of-factly.

Flynn's mouth dropped open a little and he felt tears prick his eyes. This musicals more emotional than he remembered it being. He cleared his throat. "Thank you." He smiled at her, and she returned it.

_ 'You're on _

_ I have the honor to be your obedient servant _

_ A dot Ham _

_ A dot Burr' _

The upbeat tempo transitioned to something mellow as the scene changed, the stage darkened with Alexander writing and Eliza approaching him.

_ 'Alexander, come back to sleep _

_ I have an early meeting out of town _

_ It's still dark outside _

_ I know, I just need to write something down _

_ Why do you write like you're running out of time? (shh) _

_ Come back to bed, that would be enough' _

Flynn was suddenly struck by images of staying up late to finish paperwork, and Lorena coming down and asking him to come to bed.

Only it wasn't him that never came back.

Lucy's gentle voice invaded his thoughts. "Lorena was the best of wives, wasn't she?"

He regarded her expression. There was no spite or jealousy in them that Flynn could see, which he appreciated.

"Best of women, too," he admitted. "That is, until..."

He lowered his gaze and chuckled self-deprecatingly. He couldn't help himself, could he?

Damn this musical for fucking with his feelings.

Lucy turned back to the musical, but only to cover the prickling in her eyes. Hadn't she learned her lesson?

Unlike Wyatt and Jess whose marriage had been falling apart, Flynn and Lorena were doing good. Not perfect, no relationship was, but it worked where it counted. And they had a daughter that she knew he couldn't walk away from, no matter what he said. Because he was still a good man.

But as easily as she found it to walk away from Wyatt, she found little willingness to do so from Flynn. She couldn't... say no to this, whatever this was growing between them. What did that say about her?

That was really what they needed to discuss. He needed to understand he wasn't a monster, and she couldn't have him, because his family needed him more. The idea hurt, leaving a cold stop in her stomach, but it was the right thing to do.

She could be strong, she was Lucy effing Preston.

"I think about her sometimes," he said quietly before the music changed. "About how much she would have changed in these past few years. How much we both have."

"You can't have changed that much," Lucy replied, just as quiet.

"You didn't know me then," he said.

"I know you now," she countered.

"Yes, you do." He smiled softly. "Better than anyone, even Lorena."

Lucy swallowed hard, taking that all in.

"When we save her, and Iris, I know she'll find someone who can be the man she needs," he said with certainty, "because that isn't me anymore."

"Are... you sure?" She asked and mentally slapped herself.

He looked down at her, something deep in his eyes. "Yes. I'm sure."

_ ‘Number One!’ _

The chorus started the countdown and it jostled them. 

Flynn glanced around and cleared his throat. Trying to clear away his thoughts before tuning back into the musical. They promised to talk  _ after _ , but he couldn't help himself from giving her a little snippet of his thoughts and feelings. She had to know where he stood. He refused to do to her what Wyatt had.

"I wouldn't be upset." Lucy stated, voice still low. "If you decided that Lorena and Iris were more important than… whatever this is." Lucy mentally berated herself, but she didn't want him to think she'd ever despise him the way she still despised Wyatt at times.

Flynn's head snapped back to her. He was grateful that she was willing to give him such an out if he required one. He smiled softly at her.

_ 'Hamilton drew first position _

_ Looking, to the world, like a man on a mission' _

Flynn took her hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed her fingers gently. He then held it against his chest. "Lucy..." He quickly glanced around to ensure no one was watching them. "Lorena and Iris will always be important to me. They have my heart. But that does not mean that I haven't made room for you. You have a piece of me that they do not. You mended me when they couldn't. You are my light in this dark world." He brought her hand up and kissed her palm.

Tears fell down Lucy's face, but he was quick to wipe them away.

"You are not less important. You are  _ just as  _ important to me as they are."

Stunned, Lucy stared at the action happening on screen. 

Burr was describing the scene, his inner thoughts. The lighting captured the mood perfectly, portraying the New Jersey woods, the spotlight showing the viewer what it wanted them to see. 

Lucy’s thoughts danced around like the light, which most deservedly had won the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a Musical in 2016. 

Lucy shook her head with a small laugh. This feeling… this magnificent glorious feeling lifting her up in the darkest of times. 

That’s how Flynn made her feel. She was not his second choice, second best. Flynn telling her she was just as important to him as Lorena, his “best of women”, made her begin to believe in herself in a way Wyatt never had.

From onscreen, Leslie Odom Jr’s voice began to rise as he proclaimed,

_ ‘Hamilton was wearing his glasses _

_ Why? If not to take deadly aim? _

_ It's him or me, the world will never be the same!’ _

Lucy glanced at Flynn. She knew he felt the same about the war with Rittenhouse. The war she had sent him to begin. And she’d be damned if she allowed him to die so they could win this thing.

She sighed. Hadn’t he sacrificed enough already? Shouldn’t she be allowed to do something for herself for once? She squeezed his hand and with renewed determination, vowed to herself that they were going to make it through this alive.

_ ‘Number ten paces, fire!’ _

A shot rang out and everything went quiet.

_ ‘I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory’ _

They are transfixed by Hamilton's soliloquy. The thoughts of a man who knows he's dying.

_ ‘I see it coming, do I run or fire my gun or let it be?’ _

Those words sat heavily over the group. They had all faced that choice in this war against Rittenhouse. Flynn had run, at first. Until Lucy...

_ ‘Legacy, what is a legacy? _

_ It's planting seeds in a garden you never get to see’ _

The journal was Lucy's legacy. The woman who wrote it would never see the fruits of that legacy. See a version of herself stopping Rittenhouse. She had to believe that one day, her legacy,  **hers** , not the one Rittenhouse had chosen for her, would be fulfilled.

"I wrote some notes at the beginning of a song someone will sing for me," Lucy quietly spoke the words.

Everyone felt it. The hope, the faith. The belief in something bigger than themselves. As Flynn had said, he wasn't trying to destroy America, he was trying to save it.

_ ‘I'm running out of time, I'm running, and my time's up _

_ Wise up, eyes up’ _

They still had time.

_ ‘I catch a glimpse of the other side’ _

Flynn unconsciously held Lucy tighter. He had been nowhere near prepared the first time he saw this. He had cried and cried in the middle of a packed theater.

_ ‘My son is on the other side _

_ He's with my mother on the other side’ _

Iris, his mother, his father, friends he lost in every war. Waiting for him on the other side.

He caught a glance at Wyatt who glassy eyed, staring into the same oblivion.

They all were, really. Amy, Anthony, Jiya's father, Lucy's father, Dave, the list was endless.

_ ‘My love, take your time _

_ I'll see you on the other side’ _

He could swear he heard Lorena say those words to him in the weeks that followed that night. A voice, a whisper, a dream, a caress... it's all that kept him alive until Lucy...

If the world was cruel, and saving his girls would mean letting Rittenhouse win... he couldn't let them win.

Lorena would understand, and she'd still want him to take his time. 

_ ‘Wait!’ _

Flynn took a breath as Hamilton was shot and Burr was ushered off and went for a drink. He had been in that very same mindset in Brazil. Lucy, he knew, was currently going through it. Maybe he could convince her not to drink any more tonight. It did nothing but dull the pain that would only resurface in the morning. With a killer hangover to boot.

_ 'History obliterates, in every picture it paints _

_ It paints me and all my mistakes' _

Flynn glanced at Lucy during these words. How will history remember them? Will it even know their names? Or will some theater kid stumble upon them and write a musical retelling all their accomplishments and failures?

He smirked to himself, knowing that Lucy would be the hero, while he himself would be the villain in the first act.

Maybe Lucy should still write about their missions. Someone needed to record their adventures. To prove that they had been willing to burn certain parts of history in order for the world to arise anew. Reborn from the ashes of Rittenhouse into a much less dangerous world.

_ 'Yes.'  _ He thought,  _ 'that would make an excellent musical or a play.' _

Almost like those Greek tragedies he had enjoyed his mother telling him as a child.

"What are you smirking at?" Lucy nudged him out of his little daydream.

"Greek tragedies."

Lucy didn't understand what that meant. "You're a very strange man, Garcia Flynn."

"I know." He smirked.

He was self-aware enough that he came off as 'different' to anyone he'd met, and he was totally okay with it. Lucy, however, regarded him with open fascination and–dare he say–awe?

"I'm interested to know what you were thinking, just then," Lucy admitted, a little smirk of her own.

"It's added to later's agenda, then."

_ 'Let me tell you what I wish I'd known _

_ When I was young and dreamed of glory _

_ You have no control _

_ Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?' _

They were so lost in each other's gaze that they didn't notice that the Hamilton-Burr duel had ended, and the rest of the ensemble had gathered on stage.

_ 'And when you're gone, who remembers your name? _

_ Who keeps your flame? _

_ Who tells your story? _

_ Who tells your story? _

_ Who tells your story?' _

Lucy was the first to look away as the melody swept over her. The lyrics hit her a little hard. Amy was gone and she remembered her. She was the only one that did. She was keeping Amy's flame burning because she was the only one that could. No one knew her sister. No one on the team had ever met Amy.

Getting Amy back was looking more and more impossible by the day. But Lucy was determined to ensure that Amy still had a foothold in history. She will remember. It was all she could do. 

_ 'I put myself back in the narrative _

_ (Eliza) _

_ I stop wasting time on tears _

_ I live another 50 years _

_ It's not enough (Eliza)' _

Flynn wrapped his arm around Lucy's shoulder again as he thought about his family. How he was fighting for them. But what if he couldn't bring them back? Would, in fifty years, he look back and be disappointed with his life? Would he even live that long?

Lucy's journal vaguely spoke of his death, but would that happen in this timeline? Or would he, like Eliza, live many more years after Rittenhouse is defeated? Would he feel he did too little? Would Lucy be by his side?

_ 'I ask myself, what would you do if you had more time _

_ The Lord, in his kindness _

_ He gives me what you always wanted _

_ He gives me more time' _

What would Lorena say, he thinks as he looks down at Lucy. Would she want him to move on? Or would she want him to hold out longer in case she and Iris could be saved?

Unbeknownst to him, Lucy's thoughts ran parallel to his.

Would Amy approve of Flynn? Would she tell her to hang back in case his family could be saved? Would she have tried to kill Wyatt for hurting her? That thought made her smirk. Of course she would have.

Lucy glances at Flynn as a thought pops into her head: Would Lorena approve? Would Iris?

It's funny, she thought, she never had these thoughts regarding Jessica.

_ 'Oh, I can't wait to see you again _

_ It's only a matter of time _

_ Will they tell your story? (Time) _

_ Who lives, who dies, who tells your story? (Time) _

_ Will they tell your story? (Time) _

_ Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?' _

"Damn, that was amazing!" Rufus said as he stretched his body and various things popped.

"We should definitely watch more musicals!" Jiya commented as she looked around the room. Lucy and Flynn looked to be somewhere else so she quickly turned her attention and body to the three men in front of her.

"I wouldn't say no." Wyatt smiled.

Jiya perked up. "Oh! So you wouldn't say no to this?"

"I... don't think he could say no to this," Rufus chimed in, also singing.

That drew a laugh out of Lucy as she stood and began cleaning up. These two are just sickeningly sweet, she considered. And, if this is any indication, they'll be hearing Hamilton songs around the bunker for  _ weeks _ .

"You're a musical buff, Wyatt! Just admit it!" Jiya teased.

Wyatt scoffed. "I wouldn't go that far."

Jiya lifted her chin. "Fine. We'll continue your musical edification, then," she declared. "Next time we'll be watching Cats."

"NO!" Even Rufus joined in the chorus of protests.

"Babe, I thought you love me?" Rufus whined.

"Calm down, you guys!" Jiya drawled, rolling her eyes. "I plan on us seeing the original musical."

"Isn't the original theater version just as trippy as the movie one?" Wyatt asked.

"Ha!" Rufus jabbed a finger at him."So, you HAVE seen Cats!"

As Wyatt floundered to defend himself, Connor, Lucy and Flynn worked around them to clean up, entertained by the trio's bickering.

As the trio continued to bicker, insults thrown around in good fun, Wyatt and Rufus not-so-subtly moved their trash towards Lucy with innocent smiles.

Rolling her eyes, she grabbed their cans and bowls. "Children, I swear," she muttered. walking away.

"Wait until you have a couple of your own. You'll be grateful for the practice you're getting now." Flynn smiled as he followed behind her.

Lucy smirked at him, "Who did you pick up after to learn this skill?"

"My squadron. A few of them found out how old I really was when I enlisted and blackmailed me into being their helper monkey."

Lucy chuckled at that, imagining a young Garcia Flynn scrubbing floors like Cinderella. She then started whistling 'When You Wish Upon A Star'.

Flynn playfully glared at her before sobering some. "Musical’s done." He said as nonchalantly as he could.

"Yeah," she said softly. Her eyes stayed on her task in front of her.

Sensing her hesitation, Flynn continued. "We don't have to talk now, if you're not up to it..."

Lucy shot him a small grateful smile. "Let's clean up first, and then go from there?" she suggested, just as the rest of the team joined them in the kitchen, empty bottles and bowls in hand and chattering about the musical.

"Sure." He touched her lower back as he passed on his way to stash the unopened snacks in the cupboard.

Flynn would give her time, something that he also needed to sort out his thoughts and will his emotions to calm before talking to her. 

Lucy closed her eyes as Flynn’s warm familiar smell lingered in the air after he left her personal space, and she opened her mouth in a sharp inhale as the scent of him began to fade, almost as if she was trying to pull him back to her. And then she realized, she was.

She knew how she felt, and she knew how he felt. She knew they had just spent the last three hours draped all over one another, telling the other one how much they meant to them, how much they wanted to have this conversation. And she realized that the conversation could wait.

Lucy glanced up as the rest of the team moved back to the TV area after depositing their food and drink remnants in the kitchen for her and Flynn to clean up. Taking a deep breath, she walked purposefully to where Flynn was emptying drinks into the sink. She ran her hand down

his muscular forearm until her hand met his, and with one last look at the rest of the team to make sure they weren’t looking, and a register of the confused look on Flynn’s face, she took hold of him and pulled him from the room. 

Flynn had no idea what was happening.

One minute, he was emptying Wyatt’s backwash into the sink, and the next, Lucy had walked over to him like a woman on a mission, slid her hand into his, and guided him...

...where was she taking him?...

...around the bend in the hallway, out of sight of the common area, where she turned to face him, eyes smoldering, scared, determined. 

Flynn couldn’t look away as Lucy backed into the wall, then gently pulled him to her. 

But then she paused to watch her hands run down his chest. Biting her lower lip, she shyly glanced up at him, and then seemed extremely interested in watching her hands play about his chest. 

Flynn bent his head to peer into her eyes, and as he did, Lucy slid her hands up his chest and around his neck. He stared in awe as she rose onto her toes and pulled his face to hers, and he reached up to hold her face in his hands. And then, finally then, their lips gently met. 

It was intentional this time, and they needed no conversation to decide that this had to be the next step between them. Pulling back momentarily to gaze breathlessly in awe at one another, they both eagerly leaned in to deepen the kiss.

Flynn pressed Lucy more into the wall, his body pressed against all of her. Their tongues tangled together as they tried to express their desire for each other through the kisses.

"Flynn..." Lucy mumbled softly against his lips.

Flynn slowly pulled back and tried to catch his breath. "Gar...cia..." His eyes begged her to understand what he was saying.

Lucy beamed up at him as if he had just given her the greatest gift imaginable. She then pulled him back to her.

"Garcia… Garcia," she continued to mutter his name between kisses she felt him smile.

A loud bang of someone dropping something in the common room jolted them both. They looked down the hall to see if they had been caught out.

"I'm okay!" Wyatt hollered out as if the only thing hurt was his pride. This was followed by an unintelligible exchange by their friends.

Lucy and Flynn looked back to each other, both flushed, breath short, lips tingling from the exchange. In their heads, they could both hear the king singing out, 'What comes next?'

"Lucy," Flynn drew out her name.

"We should slow down," Lucy agreed to his unspoken words.

"It's..." Flynn licked his lips. "I haven't felt this way about someone since..."

Lucy's cheeks turned pink and she looked away. "Your wife..."

"Would want me to be happy." Flynn lifted her hand and brushed her knuckles to his mouth. "You make me unimaginably happy."

Lucy became awkwardly cute at the revelation, sputtering slightly.

"But we can't rush this," he continued. "We both have been hurt. We need to do this right."

"Yes," Lucy agreed. They both had hearts that needed to finish mending in each other's hands.

Until then... they were both willing to wait for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're getting this early, but writing the Act 2 imagine took about a little over _a month_ to finish. It's crazy.
> 
> There is an upcoming imagine that references this story. Stay tuned!


	18. The Gleaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [#FlynnFriday imagine](https://twitter.com/thalia_msr/status/1314609732821438466): Rufus & Jiya have decided to use their free time to watch a bunch of scary movies with the team. The problem? Lucy is terrified of horror movies, Rufus gets annoyed that the black guy always dies first & Jiya is way too excited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **HAPPY HALLOWE'EN** from the Flynn Friday Imagines team! Without further ado...
> 
> _NOTE: There is a quick, almost make-out session, but nothing very explicit. Not enough for an M rating._

"This is the best idea."

"No, no I don't think it is."

"Oh, come on, Lucy." Jiya took her hand and dragged her out into the common area. "We put in the screen and everything to watch Hamilton, we should really make use of it."

"I'm perfectly fine with re-watching Hamilton over and over again," Lucy said as they stopped in front of the sofa.

"I'm not," Wyatt called out from the kitchen.

"No one asked you!" Jiya shouted back.

"Okay." Rufus was sorting through the list of horror movies available on the streaming service they hacked. "What do we want to watch? Black guy dies first? Black guy dies first and third? or Black guy survives most of the movie only to die to save the white person?"

"Oh, we can do The Shining." Jiya pointed at the screen.

"Black dies first it is." Rufus queued it up.

"Guys," Lucy got their attention. "I don't really like scary movies."

"Really?" Jiya's brows shot up.

"Yeah." Lucy shrugged. "I watched one when I was young, the one with the guy in the striped shirt? Anyway. I had bad dreams for days. So I've avoided them every since."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Jiya frowned and looked over at Rufus. "How about we watch something else? And don't say Into the Spider-Verse."

"It's a good movie!" Rufus pouted.

"I know, it is, but we need to diversify."

Lucy watched the two go back and forth. It was a friendly banter, to be sure, but it had been clear that Jiya had had her heart set on watching scary movies. Lucy sighed.

"You know what," she said, getting their attention. "I'm an adult now. I've literally dealt with my own little horror show. I could give this a shot, who knows, I could like them."

"Are you sure?" Jiya asked, hopeful. 

"Yeah," Lucy braced herself. "Let's watch The Gleaming."

"The Shining."

"Sure."

"Ok, I'll set everything up!" Rufus said with a wide grin aimed at Lucy.

He and Jiya looked like excited puppies and Lucy was glad she had changed her mind. The last two weeks had been particularly hard on everyone, with Rittenhouse jumping almost every day.

Flynn and Wyatt had both been injured in the last two weeks. Wyatt had dislocated his left shoulder and had a slight concussion from fighting and then falling off of a roof with a Rittengoon. A couple of days ago he broke a couple of his ribs, so he'd be out of commission for a bit longer.

Flynn had been shot in his right arm and side. Thankfully they were flesh wounds. He received a beating on the last mission. Bruises and cuts covered his body. He also had fractured his right wrist.

So to say that Lucy was happy that they didn't have to jump (KNOCK ON WOOD) was an understatement.

Lucy watched as Jiya and Rufus helped Wyatt lay on the blankets and cushions they had set up on the floor for him, so he didn't aggravate his ribs too much.

"I thought you hated horror movies?" Flynn asked as he hobbled up next to her. His body was sore, and moving was a pain.

Lucy just shrugged and smiled up at him, "Yeah, but look how excited the kids are." She waved her hands in the direction of the three sitting on the floor, smiles a mile wide.

Flynn gave her a small smile. "I'd kiss you if talking didn't hurt so much."

Lucy looked at his face and noted the cuts on his lips and the bruises around his face. She then leaned up and kissed a spot that was wound free, just under his jaw. "Maybe once you're all healed up then?"

Flynn blushed slightly and tried hard not to smile like a school boy. "Let's take the couch."

Lucy chuckled at his reaction, "You go ahead. I'll help Connor with the snacks."

Flynn nodded and hobbled his way to what everyone considered 'their couch'. He sat with a heavy sigh and tried his best to get comfortable with all his injuries.

Lucy watched him for a moment before turning to help Connor.

"We have popcorn, chocodile, twizzlers, M&Ms, and various Hostess goodies. What should we bring?" Connor asked, the popcorn just finishing its final pop.

"All of it. Have you met Wyatt?" Lucy commented as she leaned forward and hugged as many snacks to her chest as she could. "You get the popcorn and the drinks."

Connor watched in amusement as Lucy tried not to drop anything, but various snacks fell from her grasp before she dumped everything on the coffee table.

"You dropped something, Lucy." Wyatt smiled up at her.

"Shut up." She stuck her tongue out at him and went back for the fallen items.

"Connor, hurry up!!" Rufus whined and threw himself backwards on the floor.

Jiya had taken the new love seat that Denise had gotten them. It wasn't that comfortable, but it was better than the armchair that it replaced. She giggled at Rufus's antics.

"Rufus, stop whining and go sit next to Jiya." Flynn commanded and tossed him a chocodile.

Rufus pouted and did as he was told.

Connor took that moment to arrive with a tray full of drinks, mostly sodas and juice. No alcohol this time around. They drank it all during their Hamilton night.

Once the drinks had been distributed, he walked back for the popcorn. One went between Flynn and Lucy. Another for Jiya and Rufus. Then one for Wyatt and finally one for him.

"Ok. Press Play." Connor said as he sat down.

Flynn had wisely sat on the right side of their couch so that his arm and entire right side was propped against the arm rest.

Lucy arrived with the remaining snacks and snagged a throw pillow along the way, flopping it in Flynn's lap. She then gingerly settled herself beside him

He smiled at her thoughtfulness, then pulled the afghan from the back of the couch and clumsily draped it over her with his left hand.

"Have you seen this movie before?"she asked excitedly, pulling the afghan to herself.

"It's been a while since I saw it," he admitted. "But I have a feeling you might need a scaredy blanket later." He smirked.

She slapped him on the bicep with a pack of twizzlers.

You would attack an injured man?" Flynn placed a hand over his heart. "Rude."

Lucy giggled, but quickly stopped at Jiya's glare. "I love you guys, but I swear I will murder the both of you if you talk during this movie." Jiya threatened.

Lucy huddled closer to Flynn on the couch as he chuckled. "We'll be quiet. Promise." Flynn said with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Jiya looked suspicious, but turned back to the movie.

"How quiet do you think we can be?" Flynn whispered as he moved his hand just under Lucy's shirt. Hidden by the blanket.

They were too busy looking at each other to do anything to combat the barrage of popcorn thrown at them, which came in waves as nearly everyone else started pelting them with the salty treat.

"Leave room for Jesus!" Jiya shouted in her best Midwestern accent.

Lucy was laughing so hard she rolled away from Flynn, curling on herself, burrowing her head in the sofa cushion.

Flynn managed only a dry look.

"Behave, you two." Jiya told them before hitting play on the movie.

"Maybe we should get those water squirt bottles," Rufus mused, opening some chips. Lucy straightened back up, mirth still on her face. Flynn couldn't help smile at her. She tucked herself against him, his hands clearly visible as one was on the armrest and the other wrapped around her shoulder.

Twenty minutes later, Lucy said, "This movie seems kinda..." she made a disparaging sound.

"That's ‘cause everyone and their dog has ripped it off or paid 'homage' to it," Jiya said. "So if you haven't seen the original, it makes it feel very un-original."

"Ah, of course." Lucy nodded and continued to snuggle.

Eventually she fell asleep.

Seemingly some time later, Lucy slowly blinked her eyes open and stretched. Looking around she realized that she was the only one in the common room. 'Was there a jump?' She wondered as she took in the eerily silent bunker.

She'd never slept through an alarm before and thought she would have been dead to not hear it. She looked towards the area that housed the Lifeboat and sure enough, it was still there.

"Garcia?" She raised her voice loud enough to hear a faint echoing down the hall. When she didn't hear a reply back, she stood.  _ 'Okay,'  _ she thought,  _ 'what the hell is going on?' _

Suddenly, there was a loud banging coming from the hall. Specifically, the long hallway that led to the entrance door.

"Rufus?... Jiya?... Wyatt?" She walked to the entryway and stared down the hall, not wanting to get anywhere near the large metal door.

"Haha, you got me! Please come out," she nervously said as the banging continued.

The banging stopped and the silence returned. Lucy's heart rate picked up. "Ok, this isn't funny anymore."

She took a step forward when something heavy landed on her shoulder. She screamed.

_ "Heeeeeeeeere's Johnny!" _

Lucy threw her arms out in a futile attempt to defend herself.

"Hey, hey! It's just me!" Flynn's alarmed face loomed above hers, his hands restraining her arms in a solid grip. "You're safe."

Her eyes darted around. Movie playing on the screen. She had fallen asleep and somehow ended up with her head in Flynn's lap.

Once Flynn's words penetrated her panicked brain, she settled back on the pillow over his legs, sighing in relief.

"I had a bad dream," she murmured.

"I could see that,  _ draga _ ," he replied in the same tone, petting her hair while running his other hand along her sides. "But you're okay now."

His ministrations were starting to soothe her. She could feel her body unclench and felt herself melt into the couch.

"That's it," he cooed in her ear, as the hand skimming along her side caught at the hem of her shirt, letting his fingers sneak under it, continuing its lazy pattern on her skin.

"Let me help you relax."

Lucy felt her breathing quicken at Flynn’s touch. Her grown up side warned her not to let him take this too far in a public place, but the side of her that had wanted him for  _ months  _ was urging her to take him back to their room, movie be damned, so they could finally have their way with one another.

Lucy moaned as Flynn’s hand slid further beneath her shirt. The man was smart, running his hand along her back on the side nearest the couch, where no one else could see exactly what he was doing.

Lucy gasped when Flynn’s hand slid around to the side and teasingly made its way towards her breast. Every nerve ending was humming and urging her to seek out more. Lucy buried her face in the pillow on Flynn’s lap as his hand found its destination and she cried out in euphoric bliss. Finally.

Flynn bit his lip to keep from moaning out loud.  _ Finally _ , he thought as he gently cupped Lucy. A part of him wanted to take her then and there. Damn the consequences as their friends sat just feet away from them.

Flynn blinked then. Something wasn't right. Looking towards the coffee table he saw… nothing. A glance around showed him an empty room. Besides him and Lucy, of course.

The screen was still playing The Shining. Except it played silently. Jack was chasing Danny through the maze and Flynn was positive that Jiya had turned the volume up high.

"You're just gonna hold me or...?" Lucy sounded slightly irritated.

Flynn snapped back to attention and looked down. Right. Lucy's body was calling to him... What was he just thinking about?

"Garcia? I feel like you're not as into this as I am."

As a reflex, he squeezed his hand and felt her nipple harden in his palm. He swallowed thickly and leaned down to kiss her neck.

Lucy tilted her head to allow him better access. Then after a moment she turned back to him and took in his face.

Then she frowned. Where did all his bruises go?

A loud banging from down the hall had them jumping apart.

"What the hell was that?" Flynn asked, his body was on high alert.

Lucy and Flynn turned towards the screen as a voice called out to them,

_ "What you are about to watch is a nightmare." _

"Oh, fuck." They both said. Not again.

Lucy hastily rearranged her clothes. "Do you think this is...?"

"I don't know," Flynn admitted as he bent down, coming up with a gun in his hand.

She merely gaped at him as he made a quick check on the weapon. She shouldn't be surprised, really. And she was sure Denise didn't know about it being there...

They jumped again as static crackled from the TV. The screen changed to a somber black-and-white scene. There was an old well in the middle of the screen.

"We need to go," Flynn declared, face grim as he, too, was looking at the screen.

"But, what's going on?" She couldn't keep her eyes off the TV.

Flynn drew her gaze towards him with a finger under her chin. "I'm not sure. But whatever this is, we're not safe staying here, watching that." He jerked his head towards the TV as low, eerie sounds filter through the speakers.

He grabbed her wrist as he started to move towards their makeshift kitchen, but Lucy stood her ground. "What about the others?"

Flynn didn't answer as he reached up and rummaged around the top of the cupboards and took down an aluminum bat. "We'll look for them," he replied as he handed Lucy the bat. "Let's just hope they're... around."

Lucy gripped the bat tightly in her hands. "Why couldn't we wake in Hawaii? Or a shared sex dream?"

Flynn damn near tripped over himself at her words, but managed to stay up right. He felt his face flush as he stared at her. "Lucy..."

"Yes, Garcia?" She smirked his way, knowing exactly what her words had done to him.

He playfully rolled his eyes at her smile. A grin appeared on his face, "When we wake up, I'm going to thoroughly pleasure you."

Lucy was going to reply when a strange gurgling sound came from the hall.

" _ Sranje _ ." Flynn knew that noise.

There was no mistaking the creaky throat sounds he used to make to frighten Lorena as a prank.

And, boy, did he wish it was an honest-to-goodness prank now.

"What is it?" Lucy asked, expression perplexed.

"When you hear it, you run the opposite direction," he supplied. He didn't question Lucy's ignorance of the creature. He supposed she didn't actively seek out things that scares her.

He looked around. Where the fuck are the others?

"Let's check room to room for the team," he decided. "Take any weapons we can find as we go."

As soon as they started walking, the lights went out.

"Now, would be an excellent time to wake up." Flynn muttered, knowing that the creature that was still making the gurgling sound thrived in the dark.

Lucy wrapped her arms around Flynn's waist and buried her head in the back of his shirt. "I'm scared."

"I'll protect you. I promise." Flynn said and his words echoed around the pitch dark room. 

Mocking him with little laughs and reminding him of a time when his words rang false.

Taking Lucy's hand and dragging her into what he hoped was the hall, he ran his hand along the wall and tried to remember the layout of the Bunker.

"...Mine..." Something whispered just before he felt a sharp tug from Lucy and her hand left his.

"Lucy?... LUCY?!?" When she didn't answer back he walked back the way he came before the lights came back.

Flynn's blood ran cold as the maniacal laughter seemed to drift away from him, as if the entity was quickly walking away. What's worse was that he couldn't hear _any_ thing from Lucy.

It was this thought that prompted him to chase after that sound. He didn't care if he meets a psycho killer clown once he caught up. Lucy needed him.

So he ran.

And ran.

And ran.

He wasn't a slouch on running, so how come he hasn't reached the end of the hall by now?

Flynn stopped running and took a heavy breath. Running at full speed the hall seemed to stretch before snapping to a sudden end. He came to a halt and took deep breaths to calm his racing heart.

"...Flynn..."

Flynn looked up and noticed Lucy smiling at him from the end of the hall, near the end where Connor’s room is. "Lucy? You scared me. I thought something took you."

"I'm fine. Come closer." She beckoned him forward.

Without really noticing the creepy smile on her face, he began walking towards her. He smiled at her, happy that she was safe. He noticed the door to the armory open slowly and he stopped. Gun at the ready.

"Flynn… come here… hurry." Lucy continued to call out to him, but he ignored her for the time being.

"Stay there, Lucy." He said as he slowly toed the door open before an arm shot out of the darkness and pulled him into the dark room.

He gave a surprised yelp at being pulled with such force and slammed against the metal door. A hand pressed against his mouth and another arm was pressed against his chest, keeping him in place.

"That ain't Lucy!" A familiar voice said. The lights switched on to reveal Wyatt. He released him.

"What do you mean that's not Lucy, of course it is. We left her out there." Flynn tried to open the door, but Wyatt threw his body against it.

"When was the last time she called you Flynn?" Wyatt asked with a look.

Two weeks and three days, fifteen hours and some minutes. As far as Flynn remembered.

Wyatt didn't need to know that, but seemed to have seen the understanding in Flynn's face. "Exactly," He drew a gun from his waistband.

Flynn couldn't help himself. "How'd you know?"

Wyatt's free hand made vague gestures. "It's... she just gave me weird vibes, y'know. And something in her face was off when she looked at me." He shuddered.

Flynn wanted to smack himself. How could he have not noticed anything? He was just so relieved that he found her relatively unharmed, not even questioning how she escaped her mysterious captor, and...

"Red sweater."

"Huh?" Wyatt scowled at him.

"She was wearing a red sweater," Flynn noted belatedly. "She wasn't wearing anything like that when we sat down to watch the movie."

Wyatt cocked a brow at him. "You noticed her wardrobe change, but not the creepy-ass smile she had on?"

Flynn would rather shoot himself on the foot, be drawn and quartered than admit to Wyatt that they were rather hot and bothered when they were interrupted.

"Yes." Was all he answered before stepping away from the door. "Have you found anyone else?"

"Nope. Just you. I just don't understand this..." Wyatt scratched his head in confusion, "One minute we're enjoying movie night and the next, we're here."

Flynn almost laughed at him, but remembered that he wasn't there the last time this happened. He also hadn't believed them when they told him, Denise, and Connor about it. "We're dreaming."

Wyatt scoffed, "No way, man. I would know if I was."

Flynn regarded the short-tempered man before him. He had no evidence of the last two weeks on him. No injuries. Flynn rolled his eyes, "Wyatt you can't walk without aggravating a rib, yet, here you are, normal."

Wyatt looked down at his body as if noticing it for the first time. His arms and legs no longer bandaged up, his ribs didn't burn when he breathed. "Flynn?"

"Yes, Wyatt?"

"I think we might be dreaming."

Flynn looked off to the side like he was Jim from the Office looking straight at the camera. "Your intelligence boggles the mind."

Wyatt, ignoring him, rotated his shoulder and took a deep breath. "We should share dreams more often."

Flynn just blinked at him. "There are horror movie villains outside and Lucy is lost out there."

"Sure, bring down my happiness with your facts." Wyatt rechecked his gun with a sigh. "We should stock up."

Flynn nodded along as he reached for ammo.

Wyatt paused in his prep to shoot Flynn a skeptical look. "Horror movie villains? Really?"

"This will sound crazy, but this kind of happened before," Flynn replied with a sigh. He proceeded to give Wyatt the cliff notes of the shared dream they had, battling their worst fears in order to escape the nightmarish world they got sucked into.

"Wow. That is crazy," Wyatt admitted when Flynn finished. "So, you think this is the same? And if this is a dream, why don't we just... let whatever happen, happen?"

"Do you really wanna find out what will happen to us if we don't do anything?" Flynn countered.

Wyatt looked like he was about to argue, but nothing came.

"Okay. You're on point on this," Wyatt declared. "How do we wanna do this?"

Flynn pursed his lips, but left the other man to his delusions that he was in charge.

"If it's not our friends, we kill it." Flynn stated as he placed a handful of ammo in his pocket and grabbed the only shotgun they had.

"If this is a dream, why can't we think up better weapons? Or Hawaii?" Wyatt questioned, immediately testing his theory and having nothing happen.

Flynn looked at him and paused a moment, "Did you just think about a rocket launcher?"

Wyatt just shrugged, "Maybe."

Just then, the door burst open. Both men instantly had their guns at the ready. The lights in the hallway flickered.

"We're gonna die." Wyatt said.

Flynn had to bite the inside of his cheek from smirking.

"Funny. So, how about thinking positively that we'll get out of this alive, yeah?" he suggested, gun poised at the ready.

"'s that how you got out of the freaky shared dream you guys had?"

"Nah. We filled the last evil bastard with lead before he could make a living puppet out of me, then went to sleep."

He saw the grimace on Wyatt's face before he slowly stepped outside, gun poised low in front of him.

"Where'd you go, Flynn?"

He whirled around at the sound of Lucy's voice ( _ No! Not Lucy _ , his mind screamed at him). There she was again, looking under her lashes, but her cold gaze and sinister smirk felt so very wrong on her face.

She continued to gaze steadily at him as she hooked one finger at the collar of her blood-red sweater.

"Now," she went on, slowly tugging the collar down to expose a pale shoulder. "Where were we?"

Flynn's jaw dropped a little. While he and Lucy had been sharing a bed for some time and locking lips the past two weeks, they hadn't gone further. And seeing her shoulder made him feel like a scandalized man seeing a woman's ankle for the first time.

Wyatt, on the other hand, had recoiled slightly at the sinister woman. In the past couple of weeks seeing the real Lucy be completely infatuated or even in love with the Croatian at his side had humbled him to the truth that Lucy had never felt that way for him.

He and Lucy are better as friends and nothing more. He was even getting along better with Flynn.

Now, seeing this fake try to seduce Flynn was making his protective side flare up. No one but the  _ real  _ Lucy should make Flynn drool the way he currently was.

"Snap out of it, man. That ain't Lucy." Wyatt hissed with a nudge.

Flynn looked between the two and tried to get his hormones under control. He felt like a teenager and looked away from the beautiful clone.

"We will  _ not  _ be telling Lucy about this." Flynn muttered.

"Deal." Wyatt said as he lifted his gun and shot at the clone.

Flynn winced and looked away as Lucy's doppelganger gave a pained wail, desperately grasping at the reminder that it was  _ not  _ Lucy—she wasn't real—and  _ not _ at how Wyatt was too willing to shoot the creature wearing her face.

"Uh... thanks." Flynn was also not dwelling too much on the thought that Wyatt might have done that out of concern for him or some other weird sentiment.

"Yeah. Couldn't stand her Hannibal Lecter look any longer," Wyatt remarked.

Flynn groaned. "Please don't speak him into existence."

They looked back to where the clone should have fallen.

It wasn't there.

"You think she—it will be back?" Wyatt asked, eyes never leaving the spot.

"Maybe if we think hard enough, it won't?"

Flynn fervently hoped it won't. He just wanted to find Lucy and the others, then figure out a way out of this fucking hellscape.

_ Drip… drip...drip _

Lucy slowly blinked open her eyes. The last thing she remembered was holding onto Flynn and then someone or some _thing_ yanking her away from him.

"Garcia?" She murmured. Looking around she didn't recognize where she was.

She was in a large room and the lights were low. She couldn't really see anything beyond a few feet.

"Professor?"

Lucy's head snapped around and noticed Flynn standing under some kind of spot light behind her. Smirking at her. But it was… off, somehow.

A flash of him smirking and rubbing shoulders with Nazis in Germany flashed through her mind as she looked at him. Also, he only called her 'Professor' after bantering or if he was having one of his blushing school boy moments.

"You're not him." She told the look-alike with a frown. Her hand slowly searched around her for the bat that Flynn had given her before they were separated.

"Would you prefer someone else?" The lookalike said before its entire body shook and Amy's face appeared.

Lucy stopped moving as her eyes went wide. "Amy?"

"You let them erase me. Why haven't you saved me?"

Lucy knew it wasn't really her sister. She just saw it change, but her heart was breaking at the sound of her sister's voice. It had been far too long since she had heard it.

"I'm trying, I swear."

"You're with the man that erased me."

"He never-He didn't know. It's not his fault." Lucy tried to explain.

"I don't care!" Amy shot back (— _ not Amy! Not Amy! _ ). "I'm gone, and now HE'S the most important person in your life now?"

" **That’s not true** !" Lucy snapped, giving in to the impulse. "If you only knew how I tried, BEGGED to try go back and fix things, just to bring you back..."

The tears she held back spilled over.

Amy's sneer turned into a vicious grin, a too-wide, awful thing she'd never seen in her little sister's face.

( _ That's because she's not your sister, _ the Garcia in her brain whispered urgently)

"Obviously, you didn't try hard enough," Amy pressed. "You gave up too easily."

The barb rankled. Hurt, even. Lucy has heard those words in its various forms all her life: from so-called friends, colleagues, lovers. Her  _ mother _ .

But, never,  _ ever  _ from Amy.

"Shut up."

'Amy' stared with wide eyes. "What...?"

"Amy is a sweet, loving human being who's always had my corner," Lucy cut in. "Always. You, whoever you are—whatever you are—are NOTHING like her!"

Any emotion left the impostor's face as she (... it?) stared blankly. Lucy forced her spine to straighten and lifted her chin, her gaze not wavering.

— and then "Amy's" face broke into another toothy smile that looked painfully like it was about to split her face in half.

Lucy stood her ground, still. Not trusting this creature enough to look away. "What are you?" She bravely asked.

The thing then slowly started walking towards her in an exaggerated manner. "Me?" It said in a voice that was both deeper and higher. "I'm just a circus performer."

Its visage steadily transformed into a clown. A very, very creepy clown. "I'm Pennywise the Dancing Clown." It said just before it made quick work of the space between them and latched onto Lucy's neck.

Lucy tried to fight it off, but the clown's hand was too tightly wound around her throat. She tried to speak, but nothing came out, just grunts and shunted breaths.

"LET HER GO, YOU UGLY SON-OF-A-BITCH!"

Lucy then saw what she could only assume was a bat, splinter and break as it made contact with the clown’s back. The clown, not liking the interruption, dropped Lucy like a rag doll and turned to the soul that was stupid enough to tick it off.

Rufus stood holding the remaining bit of the large stick he had found to attack the clown with. His instinct was to protect Lucy when he saw that she was in trouble. Now, he wasn't so sure if pissing off Pennywise was such a great idea.

Pennywise faced Rufus and unhinged his jaw like a snake, allowing Rufus a front row view to the razor sharp teeth within.

Rufus then let out a high-pitched scream as Pennywise lifted him, spun him around, and then launched him into the darkness, Rufus still screaming as he hit the ground was the only sound in the otherwise eerily quiet chamber.

"Toss this, asshole!" Came another voice as Pennywise, again, faced another opponent. This time in the form of Jiya with a rocket launcher. The rocket sailed through the small space between her and the clown and hit the demonic creature square in the chest, sending it flying out into the darkness.

Rufus came hauling ass back into the light, "WHERE DID YOU GET THAT?" He asked his girlfriend as he made his way over to Lucy.

Jiya just shrugged. "It just kinda dropped next to me. Like the dream gods decided to help out or something. Which is a shame… I was thinking about hand grenades."

Rufus chuckled as he looked Lucy over. "Hey, you okay? Are you hurt?"

Lucy launched herself at him in a hug.

"’That a yes?"

"Yes! I'm okay!" Lucy was crying and laughing in relief. She pulled back to get a look at him and Jiya.

"How do you even know how to use that thing?" she asked the younger woman, a mixture of delight and horror seeing her handle the big weapon with frightening ease.

Jiya looked offended. "Seriously? Just point the business end towards your target and pull the trigger."

Lucy shook her head at her. "How did you guys even find me?"

Rufus glanced at Jiya. "We... didn't."

"We woke up in the common room and found it was only the two of us," Jiya chimed in.

"Then Sadako popped out of the goddamned screen, so we had to get out of there," Rufus supplied.

Lucy scowled at them. "Sad-who?"

"Evil girl with long hair." Rufus simplified it with a smirk, knowing Lucy's lack of horror knowledge.

"Did the Twilight Zone guy pop up for you guys, too?"

Jiya nodded, "Why can't we ever share nice dreams? Like an island adventure or something?"

"Who wants to see that?" Rufus asked as he helped Lucy up and both girls stared at him hard. "What? I'm just saying from the demons side of things, this is exactly the type of thing they want."

Jiya, not willing to argue, just shook her head at him. "Next nightmare we share I'm gonna let Pennywise eat you."

Rufus looked miffed. But before things could go further Lucy spoke up, "Did you find Garcia? I was with him before that clown kidnapped me."

"You mean clown-napped?" Rufus tried to joke, but it fell on deaf ears as both girls ignored him. "You know humor is my defense mechanism."

Lucy shot him a pitying grin. "Let's get out of here before he comes back," she suggested.

"Good idea."

Lucy looked around for her discarded bat, and found it on the ground a few feet away. She went over to pick it up.

"What was that?"

She immediately straightened at Jiya's whisper, harsh and cutting in the silence of the poorly-lit room. She noticed the younger woman was staring at a dark corner with wide eyes.

"Something... there was something there."

Rufus licked his lips. "We... need... to get out of there."

He grabbed both their wrists and led them towards the open door at the far end of the room.

Lucy was sure that the room wasn't that big. They've gone several paces, but why weren't they getting any closer to the door...?

"Hey." She seized Rufus' shoulder, making him pause in his stride. Jiya, too. "Do you guys hear something?"

It didn't register at first. Lucy thought it was a low drone of the ventilators—or the heater, perhaps. But as Rufus tugged at them to keep walking, the sound gradually became louder.

A chorus of voices, possibly male. Humming? Or were they chanting?

"Is that some kind of... Gregorian chant?" Lucy hazarded a guess at the slowly rising volume.

She saw Rufus and Jiya locked gazes.

"What?" Lucy asked with dread in her voice.

"The Nun." Rufus whispered as his eyes darted back and forth. "Please, anything but that creepy bitch."

Jiya saw something moving just over Lucy's shoulder. A blurry figure walked into the light and then continued into the darkness. "Worst shared nightmare ever." She said as she propelled Lucy and Rufus forward. "Run. RUN!"

The Nun was suddenly right in front of them. Rufus and Lucy let out equally high-pitched screams before running back the way they came, each taking a hold of Jiya's hands.

"We need to find another way out!" Lucy yelled as they ran, looking frantically about as they, and feverishly wishing to not see those sinister dark eyes and chalky, shriveled face. And did she really see so many razor-sharp teeth in her mouth?

Like fuck was she going to stop and find out!

"HOW??" Rufus shrieked as he made the mistake of looking behind them. The Nun was still in pursuit.

"WE MAKE ONE!"

Jiya then hoisted the rocket launcher she'd been holding onto her shoulder and shot at the darkness in front of them. The resulting explosion dispersed light throughout the space. She pulled Lucy, who then pulled Rufus, to the side as concrete and other debris flew in every direction.

When the dust and smoke cleared slightly, Jiya hauled Rufus and Lucy back up and pushed them towards the gaping hole that she made, slinging the strap of the launcher over her head. She never once looked back at their pursuer.

"HOW DID YOU FIRE THAT WITHOUT RELOADING??" Rufus questioned, but there was no denying the glee in his face.

"Are you seriously questioning dream logic right now when it just saved our asses??" Jiya shot back.

"You're SO my new favorite badass video game character," he enthused.

"’Need to keep moving!" Jiya tugged harder, urging them to move faster.

The chorus of male voices were back.

Rufus, Jiya, and Lucy took off like bats out of hell, none of them looking back for fear that the  _ thing  _ was right behind them. The lights flickered as they raced through the tunnels of the building they were in. A door was at the end of the hall and Rufus, who was in front, veered off in its direction.

_ 'Please be an exit, please be an exit!' _ He thought as he slammed his body against it and it, in turn, slammed open.

The girls were right behind him and the trio found themselves back in the bunker. The girls toppled onto him when he came to a sudden stop as he recognized their surroundings.

"What the hell, Rufus!" Jiya grumbled as she pushed herself off of Lucy.

"We're… home?" His voice was filled with pain as both girls had used him to break their fall.

"We're not in Kansas anymore, Rufus. This is still a nightmare." Lucy stated, still laying on the floor.

As if the very words conjured them up, they heard footsteps, loud and heading their way in a pounding pace. Lucy leapt to her feet just as the lights cut off. She felt Jiya and Rufus pull her closer to them. Maybe if they didn't move and stayed quiet, whatever it was would run past them.

That was not the case as Lucy felt a body collide against them, causing everyone to scream. A gun went off and Rufus' scream became more high pitched.

"Oh, fuck! Rufus?" Wyatt's voice questioned in the dark.

Just then, the lights switched on and everyone could see.

Lucy and Jiya were laying in a heap over Flynn, who was covering his face because the girls started swinging.

And Wyatt was kneeling over Rufus, who was clutching his arm as blood poured from the gunshot wound that Wyatt had inflicted on him.

"You shot me!" Rufus grunted through the pain.

Jiya and Lucy immediately went to Rufus, pushing Wyatt away from him.

"I'm so sorry! The lights were off, Leather Face was right behind us, and then we ran into you guys! I was scared." Wyatt tried to explain as he put the gun on the floor.

Flynn crawled over and looked over Rufus really quickly. "It went right through. You'll be fine. This is a dream, after all." He then let out an 'oof' as he found himself with an arm full of Lucy.

"I was so worried and scared." Lucy said in his ear.

"That makes two of us."

He kissed her neck and held her tighter.

They sprang apart at the sound of the gun going off.

"WHAT THE FUCK! JIYA!!" Wyatt screamed as he clutched his leg.

"You startled me." She said as she put the gun back down and hugged Rufus, who was now snickering slightly.

Flynn checked Wyatt's wound as well. "You do realize that by shooting him in the leg, we're gonna have to slow down?"

That immediately sobered Rufus. Both he and Jiya threw apologetic looks at Wyatt.

"This is exactly what those things want us: weak and cornered," Flynn said harshly as he worked on binding Wyatt's leg wound. He wasn't really mad at the young couple; more like he was pissed at the entire situation.

"Come on, think!" He urged them. "Last time we got stuck in a nightmare, we had to face our fears to get out. What is it  _ this _ time?"

Rufus glanced at each of their faces before answering. "... Fear Factor: Horror Movie Edition?"

Flynn wanted to chide him, remind him this wasn't a time to be a smartass, but he could see his point.

"Are you saying these things are from horror movies any of us watched?" Lucy chimed in. "But I've hardly seen any of them."

Flynn's lips pressed together. "We need to figure out how to get out of this dream." He frowned in Jiya's direction.

"Where did you get that?" he asked quietly, nodding at the object on her back.

"Oh, this?" She slung the rocket launcher forward, making the two soldiers flinch hard. Flynn tipped the barrel away from his face. She grinned sheepishly.

"I just found it nearby when we were trying to save Lucy from Pennywise."

Both Flynn and Wyatt exchanged a look.

"He was trying to wish a rocket launcher into existence, earlier," Flynn said slowly, jerking a thumb at Wyatt.

The latter sat up straighter, face lit up. "So, it worked?"

"It did?" Jiya asked excitedly. "Then, did you get the grenades I wished for?"

Both men shared another look.

Wyatt and Flynn reached into their pockets and pulled out a couple of hand grenades each.

"We found these just before Leather Face showed up. We would have grabbed more, but he was tossing his chainsaw around." Wyatt shrugged.

Jiya's face lit up, "So it  _ does  _ work!" She grabbed a grenade, then frowned. "How come what I wanted ended up with you? And vice-versa?"

Wyatt just shrugged and eyed the rocket launcher. "Can I have that?"

"As long as I get all the grenades."

"Deal." Wyatt said as beamed at her and they made the switch.

"Are we done?" Flynn asked.

He was disturbed at seeing Wyatt and Jiya gleefully swap weapons like kids in the playground swapping candies. He shook his head, mentally adding weapons handling reinforcement training to his to-do list.

It was convenient that they could think up weapons at the fly; it has been useful with their encounters so far. But it was interesting that, even as he thought of the desire to get out of their situation, the creatures just kept coming.

He looked to his wounded teammates. They won't get far in their state. They'd be easy pickings, but it seemed strange to him when it looked like their injuries didn't seem to bother either one like it should.

Unless...

"Rufus, you know that I've never meant to hurt you, right?"

Rufus turned to him with a puzzled frown. "Sure," he drawled. "Is this your twisted way of a love confession? Because that's really messed up..."

"No, but you will hate me for this, so... Sorry in advance."

Flynn swung his arm back a bit and slapped Rufus' wounded arm.

On instinct Rufus reacted by moving his arm away and yelping, but immediately frowned afterwards. "Wait. That didn't hurt."

"You've been shot before so you know what the pain feels like, but the pain isn't real so it's not a problem." Flynn explained, happy that his theory was correct.

"Oh, thank God!" Wyatt said as he stood up and fell right back down as pain shot up his leg. "COME ON!"

"Well, shit." Flynn said with an eye roll. "I can't explain what the hell is going on."

"Garcia, it's a nightmare. You can't explain it." Lucy stated as she and Rufus helped Wyatt stand up.

"If I think of a bionic leg, do you think it'll work?" Wyatt said and closed his eyes to wish it into existence. He popped one eye open and looked down at it. "Seriously?"

Jiya suddenly screamed in pain and fell down clutching her leg. Her jeans ripped as her leg slowly became robotic.

Everyone's eyes popped open as they watched it happen. No one knew how to react so they just stood there as Jiya panted on the ground. Everyone looked from Wyatt to Jiya's bionic leg.

"Um… okay." Rufus said after a few moments.

"Wish my leg back, you jerk!" Jiya yelled.

"Hey! I didn't know that would happen!" Wyatt retorted, then squeezed his eyes shut.

"Wait, wait!" Lucy clutched Wyatt's sleeve. "Wish for your OWN leg to go back to normal."

Wyatt squinted at her through one opened eye, made a face at her, then closed his eyes again.

Jiya fell back with another scream as her metallic leg seemed to melt away and reform into flesh and bone.

"I... am so... murdering you," Jiya gritted in between harsh breaths.

Wyatt held up his hands. "Hey, remember I wished a rocket launcher for you!"

"You wished that for yourself!"

"Guys, come on," Lucy intervened. "How about you both concentrate on wanting to be able to walk?"

Wyatt frowned at her, but Jiya seemed to understand. Seconds later, Wyatt was moving his injured leg unimpeded.

"All right!" He offered a hand to Jiya, who stood without issue.

"I'm impressed and a little disappointed," Rufus remarked, "that Jiya has a weird psychic bond with you for some reason, and not with me."

"That's okay, babe" Jiya assured him. "We have a bond that really matters." She drew him closer and pecked him on the lips.

"That was smart thinking," Flynn said softly, elbowing Lucy's upper arm lightly.

She looked up at him with a smile. "Thanks."

"Uh, guys."

They all turned to Wyatt and found him looking deeply perplexed. He was pointing at something behind Flynn and Lucy.

"That wasn't there when we got here, was it...?"

They all turned as one.

"A picture frame?" Lucy asked. "Why would anyone put--"

"We're going. Now."

Rufus took Jiya's hand and bolted with her down the hall. Followed closely by Flynn & Wyatt, who had both grabbed Lucy.

Rufus didn't know where he was going, but he just knew he had to get away from that damn Nun.  _ Where was an exit when you needed it? _ He thought as they all ran into a dead end. "Fuck!" He yelled at the wall.

"Leather Face was less scary, but more active. This one is just messing with us." Wyatt commented as he leaned against the wall.

"Wyatt, don't wish for lesser villains. They have all killed people." Jiya muttered as she looked back down the wall. "Oh, hell."

Everyone followed her line of sight and noticed the picture was just twenty feet away from them.

"Wyatt, Jiya?" Rufus asked. "Can you guys wish for this wall to be gone?"

Wyatt and Jiya both nodded, but refused to close their eyes this time. Not while that picture was so close.

Hands appeared on the side and gripped the frame.

Flynn pushed Lucy behind him and backed up a little.

Suddenly the picture raced towards them and both girls and Rufus started screaming. Wyatt just let out a string of profanities. But before the picture got to close, it seemed to trip over something and fall face down on the floor.

Everyone then started to laugh hysterically, at themselves and then at the fallen horror villian. When they calmed down enough to breathe again, the Nun was gone.

"Laughter kills them?" Lucy asked as she wiped away a tear.

Everyone was leaning flat against the wall now, all eyes on her.

"No Idea." Rufus said.

As everyone turned to look at him they all let out terrified screams as Leather Face, The Nun, and Pennywise stood barely inches away.

Then they all fell backwards through the wall and they kept on falling.

And falling.

And falling.

_ SPLASH!! _

Flynn was the first one to break the surface. Then Lucy. Then Rufus. Then Wyatt.

"JIYA!" Rufus dipped back underwater. He resurfaced a few seconds later carrying an unconscious Jiya.

"She can't swim!" Rufus said as he struggled to hold his girlfriend above water.

Flynn quickly swam over and took her from him. "I got her." He could see a beach just beyond the waves. "Let's swim there before a shark or something shows up."

"Great, now that's in my head!" Rufus huffed.

"No! Think gentle friendly dolphins!" Lucy quickly cut in. "Gentle. Friendly. Dolphins!" She slapped his shoulder at every word.

"Come on, people!" Flynn reminded them. "Let's swim towards the shore. Lucy, stick with the guys, okay?"

She nodded quickly and flashed him a shaky smile. Flynn wasn't sure how she'd react to dark waters like this. With Jiya in his arms, he won't be able to help Lucy in any way if she panicked.

"WHOA!"

"What??" Lucy, Flynn and Rufus yelled back at Wyatt.

"Something brushed up against my leg."

They shared terrified looks. "Wyatt," Flynn said as calmly as he could manage while treading water and holding onto a still senseless Jiya. "Now would be a good time to wish for a boat or something."

As soon as the words left his mouth a boat sprang up from from under the water.

Flynn looked over at Wyatt, "Thanks."

"That wasn't me. I was thinking of seaweed and how I wished that's what hit my leg. Not a fishing boat."

"Who cares!" Rufus said as he swam and pulled himself onto the boat. He leaned over, and with help from Flynn, pulled Jiya up as well.

Lucy was next.

Flynn and Wyatt both felt something move past their legs. Something big and definitely NOT seaweed.

"Flynn did you—" Wyatt was suddenly pulled under the water with such force that he barely made a sound when he went under.

Flynn dove and tried to reach for his hand, but he was being pulled down way too fast by an… was that an Orca???

Flynn rushed back above the water and looked towards the boat. "WHY THE FUCK IS THERE AN ORCA?"

"OH SHIT!" Rufus said as he remembered the creepy killer whale movie he watched in his childhood.

"Are we on a boat?" Jiya asked as she finally came around and looked at everyone. "Where's Wyatt?"

"Think of a waterproof jet pack!" Lucy said, leaning into the nerd side of the younger woman.

Not really understanding what was happening, the image of being shot out of the water quickly came to mind. Just as she did, Wyatt shot out of the water about fifty feet above the boat, screaming as he went.

Then, with amazing strength, the Orca followed him out of the water.

Rufus fainted. Everyone watched both man and beast free fall back into the water. Wyatt landed first and broke the surface. When he did he automatically looked up. Only to see the Orca falling, mouth open, above him.

But just before it was able to swallow Wyatt whole, a megalodon broke out of the water and ate the Orca whole.

Wyatt fainted.

Just before he could drown, Flynn scooped him into his arms and swam him over to the boat. With the girls’ help both men made it on with little issue.

"I'm never sleeping again. When we get out of here, that's it." Jiya declared.

"How about no more horror movie nights?" Lucy suggested, a hopeful lilt in her voice.

"Or maybe we burn our ancient TV when we get back because it's fucking haunted," Flynn huffed as he poked around the boat. "This is the second time we've been sucked into this shit, and I'm not really looking forward to a third outing."

"Same here," Jiya agreed with a chuff. She leaned across to Wyatt's still form, and pulled out wool blankets under him.

Lucy blinked at her. "Huh. Good thinking," she said as she took a blanket from her and wrapped herself in it.

"Do you want me to think up a speedboat so we can get outta here faster?" Jiya proposed.

Flynn grimaced. "Not with a fucking megalodon out there."

"Hence the need for speed."

They both continued to argue jetting to shore versus old-fashioned paddling or sailing just as Rufus and Wyatt began to come to.

"Are we back yet?" Wyatt asked with a groan, a hand to his head.

"We are making a slow pace to shore." Jiya stated with her arms crossed.

"We are  _ not  _ going slow! We are almost there!" Flynn huffed out as he guided the fishing boat closer to shore.

Rufus stood up and peeked over the side. He noticed a shadow following them. A very  _ VERY _ large shadow. "We're gonna need a bigger boat."

Everyone but Flynn turned and watched as the Meg's fin popped out of the water and swam faster so that it was beside them.

"$10,000 for me by myself. For that you get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing." Flynn said in a voice that sounded exactly like Quint.

"Don't antagonize it!" Wyatt whispered as he sat in the unoccupied chair near the wheel.

"You look pale as a ghost, Wyatt." Flynn said with a raised brow.

"If this was real I'd be shitting myself. I'm terrified of sharks." He answered back and his heart fought to leave his chest.

"A nice movie marathon with friends. That's all we asked for. Cuddling and possibly fooling around with Lucy. Is that too much to ask for?" Flynn muttered to himself just before he felt the boat lurch sideways.

"Think pure thoughts man!" Wyatt said with his eyes closed.

The boat lurched sideways again and before anyone could say anything the boat was launched into the air and the Meg used its tail to wack it like a baseball, flinging it towards shore.

They all landed in the water again after having fallen out of the now destroyed boat.

Lucy was the first one up this time and without thinking made her way onto shore. Rufus was next with Jiya hanging on to his back for dear life.

Wyatt and Flynn were a little further away from shore and used all their strength to their way to land. Both knew the Meg was just behind them.

Flynn was starting to struggle when a wave suddenly picked him up and propelled him forward with such force that he landed hard on shore. He turned and looked back at Wyatt, who was still a good forty feet from shore.

"Oh come the fuck on!" Wyatt yelled as he had watched Flynn be spirited away by a fucking wave. "Jiya, why don't you—"

A great white emerged from the depths, bit onto Wyatt's side and took him under. All that came back up was blood and what appeared to be a hand.

Lucy and Rufus both threw up.

Flynn was at Lucy's side in an instant, rubbing circles on her back as his mind churned.

"Nonononono..." Jiya was chanting, terrified eyes never leaving the water.

"Wish him back," Lucy pleaded weakly, seconds after she finished retching. "Please, Jiya, wish him back." Tears stood in her eyes.

Jiya closed her eyes tightly and wished.

And wished.

And wished.

Nothing happened.

She opened her eyes and looked at Lucy and gestured with her arms that she didn't know what to do. "I-I'm sorry."

Rufus put his arms around Jiya, pulled her close and kissed the side of her head. "Look at the positive side of things," he muttered against her temple.

"There's a silver lining here?" Flynn asked skeptically.

"Yes."

"And what exactly could that be, Rufus?" Flynn was slightly annoyed now.

Rufus gave a shrug. "The black guy didn't die first."

Flynn rolled his eyes instead of calling him out.

"Remember that we're in a dream. We might be able to bring him back somehow."

"But how?' Jiya asked, looking young and helpless.

"We'll find a way," he said firmly, but not too unkindly.

He looked back at the dusky horizon where they last saw Wyatt. There had to be a way to get him back. There just had to be...

Flynn gave them a few minutes for all of them to recover before urging them to move.

"To where?" Rufus threw up his hands as he looked around.

"Somewhere. Anywhere," Flynn replied. "The more we keep moving, the less of a target we present ourselves."

The others eventually nodded and started picking themselves up.

As they walked from the beach to the canopy of trees, they came to a sudden halt. They were very confused now. Behind them was a tropical island with warm sunshine, and in front of them was the exact same snowy woods they had found themselves in during their first shared dream. It was the very last place any of them wanted to be.

"I hate this more and more," Flynn said as they continued more cautiously through this new (or was it old?) terrain.

"Is that a snowman?" Jiya suddenly asked.

Everyone followed her line of sight to a lone snowman with what appeared to be an angry face made of coal.

"Damn it," Rufus sighed, finally tired of all these villains.

"Don't tell me. There's a Jack Frost movie out there where he's evil," Flynn said more as a statement then a question.

"There's two. Amy made me watch them." Lucy said.

"Fantastic," Rufus said. "So, you know how we beat this mofo?"

Lucy nodded and closed her eyes. "Blow him."

Jiya snorted as Flynn choked on spit. "'Blow him?'"

"Yes," Lucy replied calmly, opening her eyes with a smirk. "Blow him." She cocked an eyebrow at Flynn and looked to the ground beside him.

He followed her gaze. When he saw it, something clicked in his head. "Oh."

He bent down and hefted the big object in his arms. "Blow him." He grinned widely.

He loved her brilliant mind, he thought adoringly as he fired up the flamethrower and began to torch the ugly snowman.

Flynn smiled as the snowman melted easily into a giant puddle and he looked like a little kid with a new toy.

Lucy and Rufus smiled at each other as both Flynn and Jiya started geeking out over the flame thrower.

So distracted were they that they didn't notice the thing emerging out of the puddle and slowly wrapping itself around Jiya's ankle.

"We should keep going,” Lucy said, getting the happy duo's attention.

Jiya was suddenly pulled to the ground so fast that it took the three a second to realize what had happened, Jiya's scream was the only thing that was heard.

Once his brain caught up to the situation, Flynn dove to the ground reaching and failing to grab a hold of Jiya's hand as the vine-like thing continued to drag her into the large puddle.

Rufus and Lucy were a little further behind and both had taken off in a full sprint to try and reach Jiya before she reached the puddle.

Jiya tried in vain to get a grip on… ANYTHING to stop her descent.

The trio was too far behind when Jiya disappeared under the puddle with lighting speed.

"JIYA!!" Rufus screamed just before he dived head first into the water.

It was a lot deeper then it looked and went on for miles below the surface. Jiya was struggling against the vine around her ankle, fear etched on her face. Knowing that if she broke free, she still didn't know how to swim and would most likely drown.

**_Please!_ ** Rufus screamed in his head as he swam deeper. He knew his limbs burned, and the water pressure a weight against his chest, but it felt off. He couldn't hold on to the strange sensations, not when Jiya's terrified face was being taken farther away from him.

_ ‘Please! PLEASE, I need to reach her!’ _

He kept swimming, honing on his lover's face as it contorted in a silent scream. He kept pushing.

Rufus saw Jiya's face twitch some more, then he could've sworn he was feeling more than seeing the light fading from her eyes.

"JIYAAAAAAAA!!!"

A moment later, Jiya had disappeared from view and Rufus was left alone in the surrounding darkness. His chest burned from the effort of holding his breath and struggling against the water. He just floated there. Not sure what to do.

He felt arms latch around his torso and he didn't even bother putting up a fight. Was this nightmare like the Elm Street movies? If you died in the dreams, did you die in real life? If so, he didn't think he wanted to live in a world without Jiya. She was his everything.

He was now being quickly dragged through the water and was more than a little surprised when he and whatever had him broke the surface.

"Rufus!" He heard Lucy yell and he turned to see that Flynn was holding him and swimming him to the edge of the large puddle. "Jiya?"

Flynn only shook his head. He had witnessed the whole thing and felt for the younger man in his arms. Watching someone you love was about the worst thing imaginable. He lifted Rufus onto the ice and then pulled himself up.

Lucy wrapped her arms around a despondent Rufus, who simply held her back.

"We have to get out of here." He whispered.

"Agreed." Flynn gave them both a hand up. He picked up the flamethrower and urged them to start walking.

"Where do we go, though?" Lucy mused, rubbing her arms and looking around the snowy plain.

He looked down at his shirt and cargo pants, wishing he had a coat to offer either of them, even if he didn't feel that cold. He pictured themselves in thicker and warmer clothing as he trudged on.

As he thought long and hard about warmer clothes, he watched as Lucy's clothes seemed to shift and transform. He stopped walking when he realized that the very clothes he thought up appeared around her, without her noticing.

He was connected with Lucy. His brain supplied before taking a detour directly into the gutter. Thoughts of a warm and naked Lucy spilled into his mind, but he was quick to stop his mind from going too far. Otherwise, both he  _ and  _ Rufus would be seeing parts of her that were safely hidden behind her clothes.

"Garcia?"

Flynn looked up and realized that the pair in front of him had stopped walking as well and were staring back at him in confusion. "Sorry… you look… warm."

Lucy looked down at herself and took in her new outfit. Everything she wore was just a little too big on her. These were Flynn's clothes and she quickly came to the same conclusion that he had just moments before.

"Um...guys? I understand the need to undress each other with your eyes.. BUT!" Rufus started as stared wide-eyed just past Lucy's shoulder. "I'm sure that's the same guy that tried to kill Flynn."

The couple turned at the same time to see that there was a man running towards them with an axe.

Flynn immediately recognized the crazed lunatic and reached for Rufus and Lucy's hands. "RUN!"

Just as he said that the figure split into two and a hockey masked individual began his chase.

"Pup-pet," the man sing-songed. "I've come back for youuu..."

Rufus looked behind them, eyes widening at their pursuers. "Oh, COME ON!!" He pushed the other two on. "Isn't this a good time to torch them, Flynn??"

Flynn lifted the flamethrower and pointed it at the psychopaths behind them. He was just about to pull the trigger and unleash hell, when a sudden and intense pain shot up left thigh. He crashed to the ground with curses in several languages falling from his lips.

Rufus and Lucy came to a sudden halt at his string of profanities. They were about twenty feet away and could clearly see some type of shuriken-like object lodged in the back of his thigh.

The two villains had slowed down their pursuit, but their gazes were locked on Flynn.

Flynn gripped the thing from his thigh and pulled it out with a scream. Looking at it made the blood drain from his face. He knew which horror villain this belonged to. "R-run... Run...RUN!" He screamed at Rufus and Lucy.

Lucy wasn't about to leave Flynn behind and started towards him when Rufus's arms wrapped around her, and with strength he wasn't aware he possessed, lifted her and began running once more. He knew what Flynn was doing and the creature that was currently circling the sky had motivated the younger man.

Lucy watched as some huge winged man dropped from the sky and scooped Flynn up like he weighed nothing. His screams filled the air as he was being lifted by his injured leg.

"NOO! GARCIA! RUFUS, PUT ME DOWN!"

"Lucy, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I understand, but we have to go. Stop moving please." Rufus pleaded with her struggling form.

But Lucy didn't let up. "We have to save him, Rufus! Please!"

Rufus couldn't look her in the eyes any longer. "Listen to me. Jason and that other psycho is still around. We  _ have  _ to get away. That's what Flynn wanted us to do."

This only served to bring more tears in her eyes, but Rufus knew that the rational side of her would listen. He started to see reasoning come over her features, so he loosened his grip, but kept close in case she needed his support.

With a pained cry, Lucy wrenched from him and ran towards the flamethrower Flynn had dropped. She then aimed it towards their aggressors with a primal yell.

Rufus was cautiously making his way towards her as she went wild on the horror villains. It was something to behold as she screamed and burned the cabin villain to a crisp. Jason was fighting against the fire as best he could but he was quickly losing the battle.

Suddenly, in the distance, Rufus could see the Creeper returning. He was flying at such a speed that it was like a bullet.

"Lucy, leave it. We have to go." he said calmly, holding onto her elbow he gently tugged her arm as Jason fell to the ground. His body and mask a charred mess. They stared at the remains of the two villains a moment too long as the Creeper was now swooping down for his next meal. But Rufus was quicker as he dropped to the ground, taking Lucy with him.

The Creeper sped past them and kept on going. Not caring about them, apparently. Rufus watched him leave, confused. In the movies, the Creeper always came back.

"Rufus we should—AHHHHHH!!"

Rufus' head pivoted in Lucy’s direction and his heart nearly leapt from his throat at the scene before him.

The reason Lucy had screamed was because of several hands that had protruded from the ground and grabbed a hold of her. Flames then emerged from under her and a chasm opened up.

She would have fallen through had Rufus not quickly grabbed her hand, keeping her above the flames.

"PULL ME UP! PLEASE, RUFUS!"

"I'M TRYING!"

Rufus found himself in a deadly game of tug-of-war with Lucy being used as the rope and the other contestant being souls of the damned.

From his position, he couldn't see or hear the Creeper, once again, making its way towards him.

"RUFUS!" Lucy screamed as she had a front row seat to the horror scene she knew was about to play out.

"LUCY, I'M PULLING AS HARD AS I CAN!" Rufus screamed back, his arms protesting against the strain he was putting them through.

Lucy glared at Rufus, "IT'S COMING BACK!" she screamed over the many hissing voices of the souls pulling her down.

Rufus didn't even have to turn around to know what she was referring to. He had two options: Drop her hand and let her fall. Or try and pull her up, which would most likely end with him being taken and her falling anyway.

He didn't like either option.

What does he do? There was no way in hell that he'd abandon Lucy! She was all he's got in this crazy world.

He strained and pulled, but the souls would not give. "Just hang on—"

"Rufus..."

She didn't scream it, but Rufus didn't like the tone one bit. His heart was trying to beat out of his ribcage.

Their eyes met. He didn't like the resignation in her tearful gaze.

_ No. Nonononononono! _

Her lips twitched in an approximation of a smile. "Go be a hero."

"Lucy—"

And with one mighty heave, Lucy pushed away from Rufus, as otherworldly arms snaked all over Lucy's form. She kept her gaze at him with a soft smile before more arms covered her face and pulled her to the netherworld.

A burst of air threw Rufus out of the way and the Creeper missed him by mere inches as it dove into the chasm and got trapped inside as it closed.

Rufus didn't know what to do. Everyone was gone. He was the only one left. Looking around, he realized that he was indeed alone. No monsters. No villains. No friends. No Jiya. Just him.

What did he do to deserve this nightmare? He laid in the snow and stared up at the sky. What was he supposed to do now?

_ "What you're about to witness, is a nightmare." _

He heard the voice and closed his eyes. He was so tired.

_ 'If this is how the last man standing is like, I'd rather go first,' _ was his last fleeting thought before giving in to exhaustion.

* * *

The next moment that Rufus opened his eyes, he was lying on the cold concrete floor of the common room.

"Well, shit," he blurted out, running hands all over himself. Yep, still in one piece.

A moan came from his right, and Rufus didn't think he'd hear that voice again.

"DUDE!" He practically fell on top of Wyatt, hugging him fiercely.

"Wh-ow, ow, ow, ow, OW! RUFUS! Ribs! Concussion!" Wyatt was slapping at his shoulder.

"Shit, sorry, sorry!" That's right. Real world. Real, waking world, where no creatures of horror were after him, and two of the team were still recovering from their latest mission. Which meant...

"Quiet down, Rufus," Flynn complained from the couch, rubbing his head. 

Lucy, who lay with her head in Flynn's lap, was only starting to stir. 

Rufus was more than happy to see his friends, his family alive and well.

"Rufus?"

He turned to his side and found Jiya rubbing her eyes and he practically tackled her into the couch cushions.

"Oof!" Rufus then began peppering kisses all over her face. "Oh. This is nice."

Lucy woke to the commotion of Rufus and Jiya giggling and smooching. Which reminded her...

She sought the face she'd been looking for, and there he was—battered and bruised, and looking down at her with tender eyes.

She reached up to delicately cup his face. "I thought I lost you," she murmured.

He clasped the hand that was on his face and kissed her palm. "I thought I lost you," he said back, voice raspy.

The two couples were so relieved to see each other that they didn't notice Wyatt get up and leave.

Rufus was kissing Jiya over and over again, her lips, her cheek, her hair, the top of her head, everywhere. He needed to be sure she was real, that he hadn't lost her. He didn't want to live in a world without her.

Jiya was not exactly passive herself. She could remember the cold grip of not being able to breath and seeing the horror on Rufus' face. She never wanted him to feel that way ever again, because she knows what it's like and it's just too horrible to bear.

As for Flynn and Lucy, both had lost so much, and this was so new, they couldn't formulate any proper responses and simply held each other. Flynn didn't think his heart could survive being shattered again if he lost Lucy, and she understood.

They gave each other a soft kiss here and there to remind themselves that this was real, not a dream.

"AAHHHH!" They heard Wyatt yell, more of a response to the pain in his ribs as he lifted the ax above his head and brought it down onto the old tv. It cracked and splintered and sparked as it was cleaved in two.

Everyone jumped at the sudden act of property destruction, but none of them could complain, only wondering why they hadn't thought of it first.

"Right," Wyatt tried to catch his breath, the pain a little too acute. "That's enough of that."

_ "What you're about to witness, is a nightmare." _

Everyone froze in fear, Lucy whispering out, "No..."

Connor laughed, walking into the room, staring down at the tablet in his hands. "Man, this show is a classic."

When he glanced up, four sets of eyes were staring at him as if he had grown another head and they wanted to chop it off. Speaking of, the TV had an axe in it.

Connor cleared his throat and stood up straight, crossing his arms so the tablet dangled at his side. "Oh, come off it. The Happening wasn't that bad of a film."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let us know what you think! ^_^


	19. The Man Flu (one-shot)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [#FlynnFriday imagine](https://twitter.com/thalia_msr/status/1304380964227997697): Flynn comes down with the flu and Lucy is tasked with taking care of him. With his fever spiking so high that she has to drag him into the showers to cool him down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's something short-ish and silly. Image by the ever lovely Thealocksly ^_^

  


"I'm fine," Flynn said, pulling away.

"Clearly you are not," Lucy said as Flynn started to sway. She grabbed him around the middle and did her best to keep him from falling over.

"Ah, great," Rufus lamented, backing away. "Once one person gets sick, everyone gets sick."

"Yeah," Wyatt agreed. "That's usually how it works."

Flynn couldn't argue with them, he had first hand experience with Iris bringing in something and getting him and Lorena sick. Not that he was sick now, nope, he was totally fine, even if his head was pounding and the room was moving on its own.

"Mom had me take a flu shot before going to WWI," Lucy said, still keeping him from tipping over. "She was worried about the spread of the 1918 Flu. Don't call it the Spanish Flu because that is highly inaccurate. It actually started in Kansas and spread—"

"Lucy," her name came out like a drawl on his lips. Normally, he could sit for hours and just listen to her, but right now, okay, maybe he just needed to close his eyes for a bit, sleep this off, yeah.

"Right," she cleared her throat. "I'll quarantine with Flynn to make sure he doesn't spread it to you guys."

"Quarantine, with Flynn?" Wyatt nearly sputtered.

"What if Rittenhouse jumps?" Jiya asked the smarter question.

"We just got back from one, we have a few days’ reprieve." At least, Lucy hoped so. "Just, disinfect everything and tell Denise we need supplies."

There was general agreement and everyone moved to their tasks. Lucy looked up at Flynn who was slowly fading on her.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." 

Only one word zinged through Flynn's sludgy brain. "Bed?" he grinned salaciously. "Shouldn't y'buy me dinner firs'?

Lucy's stare was fond, but she was Not Impressed. "Sure. We'll break out the best can of chicken soup and crackers we can find. Right now, you need to lie down—"

"With you?"

She gaped at him. "Are you this forward when delirious?"

"Lorena thought I had game." Flynn scowled, thought some more, then shook his heavy head. "Oh wait, 's not true."

She rolled her eyes at him with a chuckle. "I'm sure. Come on, Cyrano..." She veered them towards the quarters.

"Cy-Cyrano?" he spluttered, genuinely offended. "Not even a Valentino? It's the nose, isn't it?"

"It's not—"

"Definitely the nose," he insisted.

"It's because you're hopeless!" she shot back, then froze, her face flushed. She seemed to come to her senses (From what? Flynn mused) and gently nudged him to walking again.

"Yeah, it's the nose," she concluded, getting a grip on his waist again when he started to falter.

"You don't like it," he said with a pout.

Lucy rolled her eyes as she finally reached his room. "I like your nose. Now, don't move." She propped him up against the wall and with one hand on his chest used the other to open the door.

Flynn reached up and laced his fingers with hers. "I like your nose, too." He smiled at her in a kind of childlike way. "I think it's cute."

Lucy just smiled back. "I'm sure you do. Come on." She dragged him into the room and plopped him on the bed. He grunted in protest, but made no effort to move.

Great. Now all she had to do was get him into his sweats. Easy.

And it was, in a way, because as soon as he seemed to have steadied himself, Flynn began to peel off the layers of dusty period clothing. She had to snatch the dirty clothing from his hands when he started to carelessly dump them on his cot. Each time he discarded an item of clothing, Lucy folded each one quickly and plunked them on the floor before catching the next item that was to be cast aside.

The hard part came when he was completely shirtless, and Lucy could only seem to focus on nothing else but his bared torso. She felt her throat was dry, so she swallowed. It didn't seem to help.

Flynn started to sway where he sat that Lucy's hand shot out to steady him by his shoulder, only to take her hand back at the feel of his febrile skin. His bare, burning skin.

"Flynn, you're hot!" she blurted.

He looked up at her under his lashes. "Why, thank you."

"I-I mean, you're burning hot."

He snorted in amusement. "I'm really glad you think so."

Lucy blew out a breath. Half out of his mind, and he was still insufferable.

"I didn't realize how sick you were." Lucy said as she leaned him back on his bed.

"I'm not sick, Lucy. Just overheated. I should cool down now that I took my shirt off," he huffed. Lucy could swear he was rolling his eyes, but they were closed.

"Right. Can you take your pants off too, or do you need help?" She was glad his eyes were closed, otherwise he'd see that she was as red as a tomato.

"Why Lucy… I thought you'd never ask." He fumbled with the buttons and groaned in frustration when he couldn't get them undone. "Stupid pants."

Lucy held back her laughter, but just barely. He was kinda adorable when he was sick. "Do you need help?"

Flynn opened his eyes enough to glare at her. "My hands aren't working properly… Must be having spasms or something..."

Lucy rolled her eyes again. This was going to be a trying day.

But she'll try to make the best out of this situation.

"And why is that?" she asked.

He scowled. "Why's what?"

"Why are your hands spasming?"

His frown deepened, then held up his hands. "They are...?"

Lucy wanted to take her words about Flynn being adorable back. Now, she didn't know if he was just winding her up or not.

"We need to do something about that fever before it fries your brain," she remarked as she worked on removing his boots and socks. "We don't want anything to happen to your brilliant brain now, do we?"

He looked up at her shyly, glazed eyes bright. "You think I'm brilliant?" he asked softly with a dopey smile.

"Now, you're just fishing for compliments." She restrained herself from chucking his socks at his face. But only just. She had to bite her lips from smiling at his hangdog look, though.

"'m not."

"Come on. Pants."

Her hands fluttered uselessly before her, though, not wanting to be even near Flynn's pants button.

Flynn flushed a little as he was finally able to undo the button. At least Lucy hoped it was from that and not from the steady climbing fever he has.

When his arms flopped to the side, muscles clearly exhausted, Lucy took over and carefully helped him shimmy out of them, a faint blush on her cheeks.

When she looked up, he had a very serious expression on his face. "What's wrong?" He looked away, but not before she noticed the sadness in his eyes. "Flynn?"

He sat up and brought his knees to his chest. He tried to smile, but she could tell it was forced. "Lorena used to help me out of my pants whenever I was too tired or si—overheated. I must have been really cooking ‘cause I thought… for a moment I thought..."

He didn't sound delirious, Lucy thought. Just broken. "You thought I was Lorena?"

Flynn shook his head, tears in his eyes, "Lucy I didn't—I wouldn't never… but I closed my eyes and for a moment I thought..."

Lucy immediately sat next to him and wrapped her arms around him, ignoring his overheated skin for a moment. "Shh. It's ok. I understand."

And she did. She wasn't offended. In fact, she was honored that he was comparing her to his wife in this instance. It meant that she wasn't doing anything wrong.

"Lorena always took care of me," he muttered, his eyes closing again.

"She did a fantastic job of it, I'm sure." She kissed his temple. Her lips burned slightly from his fevered skin. She quickly stood, "I'll get you some water, cool towels, and some medicine."

Flynn watched her walk to the door and open it. "Lucy?"

She turned with a worried expression. "Yeah?"

"I don't need medicine. I'm not sick."

She rolled her eyes, "Sure."

Lucy left and Flynn hung his head.

For a moment he had thought it was Lorena. And it wasn't just because of the action itself, it was everything around it.

Lucy made him... feel things he never thought he'd ever be worthy of again. There was a level of caring to her very presence that he soaked up like a sponge. And from Lucy?

Beautiful, smart, Lucy. The only person who believed in him.

(Except she didn't believe he wasn't sick, he was totally not sick, but he could let that one slide.)

He wasn't deserving of this, of her, but yet, here she was. And it made him feel human again.

She cared about him, and it was more than he deserved.

"Jiya mentioned Flynn was sick." Denise said when Lucy entered the common room. There were plastic bags on the table in front of her. "I brought what I thought was needed."

Lucy smiled at the older woman and quickly looked inside the bags, looking for medication. "I believe he has the flu. His fever is pretty high, but I'll need—Aha!" She said as she pulled out a thermometer as if it were a sword.

"Is he acting like a typical man and being all grumpy and pathetic?" Jiya asked from her position on the couch.

"We do NOT act pathetic." Wyatt argued, but three pairs of not-amused eyes looked back at him and he smartly turned back to the television.

"Yes and no. He's kind of adorable. Like a puppy. Not pathetic." Lucy answered.

"Cool, cool, cool." Jiya said. Lucy wasn't looking & therefore couldn't see the giant grin on her face.

Lucy looked up curiously at her bright tone, but Jiya was intently staring at the TV.

Rufus joined them, freshly showered and in his favorite worn-out blue hoodie and jeans. He lit up at seeing the bags on the table and strode to it.

"Ooh, grocery run!" The bright smile turned into a scowl when he poked into one of the bags.

"Are we gonna build a clinic now? What's with all this?" He held up several blister packs.

"I was told Flynn was sick," Denise replied. "And I thought our medical supplies needed some replenishing as well."

"The sinister Flynnster finally brought down by sickness, huh?" he quipped.

Lucy snorted, fishing out a bottle of aspirin, ginger ale and a box of fever cooling patches. There was a new ice bag, but, knowing this bunch, nobody likely filled out the ice cube tray in their ancient fridge. And with Flynn being especially difficult today, the cooling patches would work better.

"He's not contagious, is he?" Rufus asked her, nervously rubbing his arm.

"Hard to say," she admitted with a shrug, gathering the items in one arm. "Flynn's not coughing or sneezing. But you'll know when I do."

She fished around the other bags for crackers before returning to Flynn's room. She knocked on the metal door before heading straight to the lone desk and depositing her acquired items.

"You should eat something," she advised, her back to him while she sorted out the supplies on the table. "I know you haven't had anything before we ju..."

Her voice died down when she saw Flynn, huddled and trembling under the thin blanket. His pants lay discarded on top of it. (At least, she didn't have to deal with that.) Her eyes softened.

She could only see the top of his head and one eye as Flynn peeked out from under the covers.

"G-got cold w-without you," he declared, his voice small.

"Oh, Flynn," Lucy muttered as she moved quickly around his room, setting everything on the tiny nightstand before she stuck the thermometer in his mouth.

He glared at her, but didn't fight her on it as he didn't want to move, for fear that his not-a-fever chills would get much worse.

After a few moments it went off "Ninety-eight degrees. Not good, but not horrible." She then grabbed the flu medicine and glared hard at him until he caved.

"I'm not taking this because I'm sick. I'm taking this because you're being mean." He muttered as he pulled the covers over his head. 

"Damn right," she agreed. "I'm a grade A bitch if it will keep you alive."

The covers shifted and Flynn's head reappeared. She turned away to hide her snicker at his always immaculate hair now sticking out in places.

"Who called you a bitch?" he growled lowly, eyes murderous. Lucy arranged her face into a neutral expression before facing him again. This will be a long day.

"Someone who thought I don't look after you well enough," she answered. This felt like having a roundabout conversation with a three-year-old. Okay. She should be able to outwit Flynn like this. No problem.

His glassy eyes went wide. "Not true! You are the kindest, most caring person I know! How dare anyone suggest..."

Lucy wanted to melt at his words and earnest expression. She mentally shook herself. She needed to focus.

She affected a helpless shrug as she took the ginger ale and crackers and sat at the edge of his cot.

"They'll think they're right if I don't help you eat," she confessed, her tone sad. "But, what can I do if you don't want to eat? I don't want to force you. I don't want to be mean..."

Flynn's eyes narrowed at her, then at the food in her hands. His arm shot out of the blanket and snatched the box of crackers.

Lucy smirked in triumph when she heard the tell tale signs of Flynn munching on the crackers. "Now, was that so hard?" All she got in return was a grunt.

After a few more crackers, Flynn popped his head out from under the blanket and stared at Lucy with expectant eyes.

"You want some ginger ale?" She asked, just barely holding back a smirk.

He nodded with a pout and a slight shiver. He looked extremely cute. Lucy quickly shut that train of thought down as she made quick work of opening the bottle and handing it to the 'not-sick' man.

"I'm tired."

Lucy made a sympathetic sound. "I'm sure you are, sweetie."

She froze when she realized what she just said. Flynn was staring fixedly at her, inscrutable.

"But we need to get your temperature down," she barreled on under his scrutiny, gaze on her hand as she brushed crumbs from his cot. "Make sure your brain isn't getting slowly cooked."

"It won't because I'm not sick." He grumbled as he pulled the blanket more securely around himself. His body shivered violently at the action, but he still refused to acknowledge anything was wrong.

"Right… Then I'll just put these on you because I think you'll look nice." She said sarcastically as she held the cooling packs up to his face.

He turned his nose up at them and made a 'hmph' sound.

"Oh, I'm sorry are you too good for cooling packs? Because your temperature is high and you've got the chills."

Flynn rolled his eyes, "I don't need them. I'm not sick…  _ sweetie _ ." He added that last word with a smirk.

Lucy blushed, but was not going to let him win this. He was sick and he was going to do as he was told. "Garcia Flynn, what would your mother say if she could see you now?"

"’My God, why are you allowing this woman to abuse you like this?’" He responded with a smirk that Lucy couldn't help chuckle at.

"Oh, sure. Little 'ol me has you at my mercy." Lucy laughed, but stopped when she realized that Flynn was blushing instead of laughing with her.

"Right. Let's just get these on you."

Flynn was in no shape to actually stop her from putting the cooling packs on him.

"That feels... good," he muttered. "But only ‘cause I overheated, you know, those old fashion clothes, all those layers..."

"Uh huh," Lucy 'agreed' with him as she adjusted his blanket. Now that he was med, fed, and bed, she had to figure out what to do next. She really should avoid the common areas, as she could transfer the virus. Also, if she left him alone, who knows what mister 'I'm not sick' would do.

Looking around, she spied one of the many books that Flynn had around his room. Some were hers, left after bringing them during some late night talk. A mixture of fiction and non-fiction.

"Shall I read to you?" Lucy asked him.

He gave a non-committal reply.

Taking that as a yes, she grabbed one and sat down in the chair.

As she read a few paragraphs, Flynn interrupted her words with a grunt.

"'Sounds familiar," he rasped.

"You've probably read this a million times." The book is old, well-read but the owner seemed to take great pains not to wear out the book too much.

"What's not to love? Sand dunes, space worms, interstellar politics. Destroying your enemy with a word."

He sounded exhausted just lying there. Poor thing.

"Sounds impressive." She paused. "Do you still want me to read it to you?"

He gestured a 'go ahead' then let his arm plop on his side. "By all means," he said. "I like hearing your voice."

Lucy wriggled further in her seat and started reading again, hoping the heat in her cheeks would just go away.

"Do you like it? The book, I mean?" Flynn asked after a few more minutes, his voice slightly slurred. The medication was doing its job.

Lucy glanced at the cover and then quickly reread the last paragraph to herself. It was interesting, and fairly popular. Yet she hadn't read it before. It wasn't a history book and she doubted her mother would have allowed her to read it. Perhaps Amy would have loved it.

"It's interesting." She smiled at him, his lips twitching in response. "I think this book would have been more Amy's thing than mine."

Flynn's eyes opened fully at the mention of her sister and despite the slight glazed look, he locked eyes with her. "I'm sorry—"

Lucy was quick to wave him off, "No, no. It's fine. It's a happy thought. It's nice to think that Amy would have probably gotten along with you. With the team."

"You think so?" he asked in a small voice, green eyes wide and bright. Like a little boy.

She bit her lip. She was resisting this sudden urge to plop beside him and stroke the hair away from his forehead. Maybe even kiss it.

"I know so," she managed to say instead, offering a small smile.

"Good to know," he murmured, burrowing his cheek further into his pillow, "that there'd be one person who can put up with me."

"Oh, Flynn I-I... put up with you," she finished weakly.

He snorted into his pillow. "Y'not a person, though."

She was taken aback by his remark. "No?"

Flynn shook his head, eyes closed. "More than that." His voice was so soft that Lucy strained to hear it. She noticed the line of his shoulder gradually relaxing.

"You're a wonderful angel, 'salvaged my wretched... black... soul..."

Lucy sat the book in her lap, frowning at him. "Is that really what you think of yourself, a wretched black soul?"

Was Flynn saying these things because he was delirious with fever, or, like being drunk, did it simply remove his filter?

"I've failed everyone I care about," he said. "Lorena, you, my little girl."

Lucy opened her mouth to once again remind him this was Rittenhouse's fault, he didn't fail his family, but then she realized what he said.

"Me?" Lucy asked.

Flynn shifted in bed to look up at her, his eyes full of shame and guilt. "After you gave me the journal, I… well, it took me some time to believe what was in it. But once I did, I knew I had to keep you safe. Even if you had no idea who I was. Because the time would come when I would put into motion the plans you laid out for me. But in my determination to do as instructed, I lost a bit of myself. And you lost your sister."

Lucy gasped. She didn't realize how much guilt he had over what happened to Amy. There was no possible way he could have known. She herself couldn't have predicted that she and Amy were just half sisters and that one trip to the past would have erased one of the most important people in her life. But a thought suddenly occurred to her. The blame was misplaced.

"Flynn, if anyone is to blame for Amy… it's me. Or at least the version of me that gave you the journal. Otherwise, Amy would still be here. All you did was follow instructions."

Flynn struggled to sit up, "No, I refuse to let you blame yourself. You couldn't have known."

"Neither could you." She shot back with a raised brow. "And what are you doing?"

Flynn looked at her like she was the ridiculous one with the fever. "You look like you needed a hug," he explained as if pointing out the obvious. "I'll be with you once the room would just stop tilting."

She huffed an exasperated breath, put the book aside before striding over to him. Flynn's arms were trembling, as if the weight of his own body was too much for him. The retort at the tip of her tongue died.

"How about lying back while you wait for the room to stop moving, huh?" she suggested as she stood over him and tried to arrange his pillow. Instead she found herself being pulled towards him, making her lose her balance with a yelp. She avoided landing on top him, and somehow ended up sitting at the head of her bed,with Flynn's upper body collapsed in her lap.

Flynn just blinked at her before a smile slowly spread across his face. "I can't decide which joke to say first. But they all involve our current position."

Lucy chuckled in surprise before using her hand to gently push him away. "You're hilarious, you know that?"

Flynn just continued to smile at her before he allowed his body to collapse. "You shouldn't be sharing a bed with someone you believe is sick, Professor. People will talk."

Lucy rolled her eyes before standing and straightening her clothes. "Oh? And what will they say? That we're in love?"

When she got no response she chanced a look at him and he was staring back at her with an incredibly soft expression. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Doesn't sound like such a bad rumor to me." He whispered before closing his eyes. No longer fighting the medication.

She stood there gaping as Flynn succumbed to sleep. How dare he drop a comment like that and then pass out? She allowed herself that irrational thought.

"You're unbelievable," she exclaimed the sleeping man. Flynn began to snore. Lucy threw up her arms.

With her patient finally sound asleep, she found herself wondering what she'll do with herself now.

She supposed she could eat. Like Flynn, she didn't have time to grab anything during their mission.

With this decision made, she stooped and touched his forehead to check his temperature (still the same) before she left his room. Surely, Flynn won't get himself in trouble, right?

Lucy went into the kitchen. She didn't want to get germs everywhere, so she grabbed a Tupperware of leftover something and threw it in the microwave. Cooking, or at least her pitiful attempts at cooking, could wait another day.

"How's the patient?" Jiya asked as she came over to rummage through the fridge.

"Stubbornly declaring he is not sick." Lucy rolled her eyes.

Jiya chuckled and settled on a pudding cup. "Is he a man-flu type?"

"Not really," Lucy said thankfully. "He may believe he's not sick, but he isn't whining or being unreasonable."

"That's good."

"He did get a little delirious though," Lucy added after the microwave beeped. She was gonna give it a minute to cool. "Thought I was his wife for a moment."

"Hhmmmm," Jiya said as if she was trying not to say something. She was smirking though.

"It's not like that," Lucy said. "He was speaking a lot of nonsense."

"Sure." Jiya smiled.

Lucy rolled her eyes and grabbed her bowl from the microwave. "He doesn't think of me like that, it's just the fever."

"Right, the fever."

Grabbing a fork, Lucy turned to head back to Flynn's room. He was sick, he was delirious, he didn't know what he was saying. He didn't think of her like that...

Right?

She didn't want to bring her hopes up. Not with another married man. Not with the uncertainties time travel brings. Not again.

But she couldn't deny the tiny hope that maybe—

She shook her head. Nothing good will come out of that train of thought.

As Lucy entered Flynn's room, she groaned in dismay. Flynn had kicked off his blanket to the floor, and now lay curled up in a tight ball, shivering.

Quickly depositing her meager meal on the desk, she sat beside him and took his temperature: 101°. This wasn't good.

She ran back to the kitchen. She didn't notice Jiya sitting in one of the couches.

"What's wrong?"Jiya asked around a spoonful of pudding.

"Flynn's fever spiked," Lucy answered. Taking out a metal bowl and filling it halfway with water.

Jiya straightened. "Need any help?"

"I'm good at the moment, thanks." Lucy flashed her a quick smile before power-walking back to Flynn's room, careful not to spill the water.

Once there, she took a couple of the hand towels and dropped them in the bowl. After wringing them out she placed one on his forehead and the other on his neck. She then took his towel and placed it under his head.

She dipped her hands in the bowl and cupped some of the water. Then she poured it in his hair. She did this a few times, hoping to help being his temperature back down to at least 98°.

After a few minutes of doing this, she patted his hair dry with a dry hand towel and took his temperature. Still 101°.

"Damn it." She put the mostly empty bowl on the ground and tossed all the towels next to it. "Flynn. Flynn, wake up. Open your eyes, Flynn."

Flynn just grunted and moved his head in her direction. She could tell that he was trying to open his eyes, but couldn't.

She had to get him to the showers. Now.

She slapped his cheeks gently. "Flynn, please? Open your eyes. Come on..."

It must have been the desperate edge in her repeated calls, but Flynn finally acknowledged her with a groan, and opened his eyes.

"There you are," she blurted with a relieved laugh.

Flynn continued blinking up at her, squinting. "Wh't'sit? D' th' M'thership jump?"

Lucy chose to ignore his question. By telling him no, he'd just go back to sleep, but she didn't want to lie to him, either.

"Come on. You need to get up." She began tugging uselessly at his dead weight.

"'kay, 'kay, getting up," he whined, rolling and slowly pushing himself up to a sitting position.

It was only then that Lucy realized that Flynn was wearing nothing more than boxer briefs. She swallowed.

"Uh, you'll need to put some pants on before going out," she got out when she got her throat to work.

Flynn looked down at himself, blinking slowly. "Oh."

Lucy hurried to the steel drawers where his clothes were dug around, pulling out a pair of maroon sweats.

"Here," she placed the pants in his hands. "You're not going out there and scandalize the team, are you?"

"Aw, you're no fun," he drawled, but took the pants and struggled to shimmy into a single pant leg.

She watched as he stood on VERY shaky legs and attempted to shimmy into the next one. She then watched as he ever so slightly began to tip over.

"No, you don't!" she said as she rushed to him before he leaned too far and landed on his face. She immediately noticed just how hot his skin was. "Damn. Come on, pull your pants up. We're gonna go cool you down."

Flynn's fever glazed eyes slowly moved from the floor to her face. A slowly smirk made its way on his face. "Im...poss..ible...when...you...know."

Lucy would have laughed if Flynn's heavily fevered body wasn't threatening to crush her much smaller one. "Can you walk?"

Flynn snorted at the question and dragged his right foot against the floor at an odd angle before setting it right again. "Futs 'eavy." He tried to glare down at it.

"That's what having a fever will do to you, Flynn." Lucy reprimanded.

"Not sick." He said, only adding to Lucy's annoyance at the whole situation. "Ot fish..."

Lucy just blinked at him. She needed to get him to the showers NOW. Before his brain got fried any more than it already was.

"Okay, but you're still badly overheated." Lucy put his left arm over her shoulders. "So we need to cool you down. Come on. One foot in front of the other."

And so they went, one foot in front of the other, with Lucy propping Flynn up on one side, and braced by the walls on the other, they made the long walk out to the bathroom next door.

" _Oprostite _ ... Lucy..." Flynn sounded out of breath, sweating from the small effort.

Lucy hushed him. "It's okay. Save your strength. You'll feel better after a cold shower."

"C-cold? Why...?"

"Because you need it," she stressed. "Don't you trust me?"

"With my life."

Lucy had to smile at his somber response. "Then let's get you cooled down, yeah?" She pushed the bathroom door open.

Of course the bathroom had to be so big, and the shower all the way on the other side. She managed to close the door behind her, not bothering to put the chair in front.

One step at a time, they got to the shower. There was a stool in the corner, a relic of time gone past. Lucy reached out for it, almost tipping them over. Pulling the stool over, under where the spray would be, she sat him on the stool.

"This is going to be cold," she said as she worked the shower controls. "Which is the point."

The spray hit Flynn squarely. He groaned and slid off the stool and landed on the floor, thankfully not braining himself on the tile.

Lucy almost reached forward, but the fact she was fully clothed stopped her. Did she want to get them wet? Oh god, no, not her jeans, wet jeans are the worst.

When they got back from their latest mission, Lucy had changed immediately because she just couldn't breathe. She had grabbed a sports bra and boyshorts, which covered more than most bathing suits. And they were a dark-solid color, so no wet t-shirt effect.

But could she strip down in front of Flynn?

A pained moan interrupted her roiling thoughts.

"Go. Loocy... Swim... -top." His arm tried to wave her away, but Flynn could barely lift it. "Save... y'... self."

She whimpered at what she was going to do, but she couldn't let Flynn go on like this any longer.

She whipped her T-shirt and jeans off before struggling to haul Flynn back under the cold shower. He howled as the freezing water pelted his burning skin.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" She chanted as Flynn struggled weakly, pushing to get away from the relentless cold.

She stayed like that, under the freezing cold water with Flynn practically laying on top of her for close to thirty minutes. Both of them were shaking from the cold.

Flynn began to violently shake as he struggled to sit up. "W-w-wa-what d-d-da h-hell, L-L-Lu-Lucy."

"You're fever spiked. I had to cool you down." Her lips were almost blue and very numb. She rolled her shoulder to get the kinks out. He was as heavy as he looked.

Flynn reached up with a shaking hand and shut off the shower. He sat there breathing hard, teeth chattering as he looked at Lucy. "S-so y-y-you th-th-th-ou-ought pn-pneu-mo-mo-monia w-was th’ be-be-tter op-option?"

"Well, you're not dead so… yes." Lucy stood and rubbed her arms, trying to generate some heat. Looking around she noticed there weren't any extra towels.  _ 'Damn' _ , she thought.  _ 'The one time Wyatt picks up after himself.' _

After another quick look around she plopped herself down on the stool that Flynn had fallen off of. She looked down at Flynn and realized he was staring at her. Still shaking. "What?"

He tried to smirk, but his face just twitched, "N-ni-nice ou-out-f-fit.'

Blushing, she smiled back at him. "It's all the rage in Paris." He chuckled, but it came out a little stuttery.

After a few moments of smiling at each other, Flynn's shaking had calmed down to an occasional twitch. He decided it was time to move his muscles and crawled over to Lucy. His muscles protested and gave up pretty quickly. He was close enough to reach out to her. He leaned his head on her thigh, his hair brushing against her stomach.

She let out a chuckle at the unexpected tickling sensation as he tossed his arm around her waist. She rested her hand on his head and slowly threaded her fingers through his hair. "You're fever’s gone down." She observed. His face was warm, but not feverishly so.

"Thanks for saving me." She felt him smile against her leg.

"We're a team, remember? That's what partners are for." She felt his arm tighten around her and smiled at the sensation of feeling safe.

They sat like that for several minutes. And it took Lucy just as long to realize that he was trying to warm her up with his body heat. She felt a wave of love rush over her for him… 

Love?... Yeah. Love. Lucy felt his shoulders sag a little as he let out a breath.

"Lucy?"

She looked down at his face, "Yeah, Flynn?"

"I have a fever."

Lucy chuckled and rolled her eyes a little. "Yeah. I know." It was about time.

It was quite for a moment before Flynn spoke again. "Hey, Lucy?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sick." Flynn whined a little, upset about that fact.

"Don't worry," she said as she continued to run her fingers through his hair, "I'll take care of you."


End file.
